SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 


THE    LIFE 

OF 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 

FOUNDER   OF  THE   YOUNG  MEN'S 
CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 


BY 

J.  E.  HODDER   WILLIAMS 

\\ 


"A  whole  Christ  for  my  salvation 
A  whole  Bible  for  my  staff 
A  whole  church  for  my  fellowship 
A  whole  world  for  my  parish  " 


NEW   YORK 

THE  INTERNATIONAL  COMMITTEE  OF  YOUNG  MEN'S 
CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATIONS 

1906 


COPYRIGHT,  1906,  BY 
A.  C.  ARMSTRONG  &  SON 


Published,  October,  1906 


THE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS,  CAMBRIDGE,  U.  8.  A. 


TO 

THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  YOUNG  MEN*S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 

ON   THE   CONTINENT   OF   AMERICA,    AND   TO 

TWO  OF  THEM  IN  PARTICULAR 

TO  THE  HON.  JOHN  WANAMAKER 

AND 

TO  JAMES  STOKES 

TWO    LIFE-LONG  FRIENDS  OF  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 


451.430 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

HIS  biography  has  been  written  at  the  request 
A  of  the  family  of  Sir  George  Williams,  and  I 
have  to  express  my  thanks  to  his  sons,  and  particu- 
larly to  Mr.  Howard  Williams,  for  placing  at  my 
disposal  all  available  papers  as  well  as  affording  me 
assistance  in  the  preparation  of  the  book. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  Sir  George  Williams  de- 
stroyed all  his  corespondence,  and  only  kept  a  diary 
for  a  short  period  after  he  came  to  London,  I  have 
been  compelled  to  rely  chiefly  upon  the  reminiscences 
and  co-operation  of  those  who  knew  and  loved  him. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  acknowledge  in  anything 
like  detail  the  help  I  have  received  from  all  quarters, 
but  I  take  this  opportunity  of  recording  my  indebted- 
ness to  Mr.  Edwin  Catford,  of  Dulverton,  to  Mr. 
George  B.  Sully,  of  Burnham,  and  to  the  Rev.  Harry 
Butler,  of  Bridgwater,  for  their  kindness  in  assisting 
me  to  picture  Sir  George  Williams's  early  years;  to 
Mr.  William  Creese,  one  of  the  twelve  first  members 
of  the  Association,  who  has  taken  the  greatest 
interest  in  the  work,  giving  me  the  benefit  of  his 
recollections  of  the  early  meetings,  and  ensuring  the 

vii 


viii  PREFATORY    NOTE 

correctness  of  what  is,  I  believe,  the  first  authentic 
account  of  the  beginning  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  in  the  upper  room  in  St.  Paul's 
Churchyard ;  to  my  grandfather,  Mr.  M.  H.  Hodder, 
a  life-long  friend  of  Sir  George  Williams  and  among 
the  earliest  members  of  the  Association ;  to  my  father, 
who  was  for  nearly  forty  years  so  closely  connected 
with  him  in  business  and  in  private  life ;  to  Mr. 
Walter  Hitchcock  and  to  Mr.  Amos  Williams. 

I  am  indebted  to  many  unknown  correspondents 
who  have  written  to  me  of  the  state  of  affairs  in 
London  warehouses  at  the  time  Sir  George  Williams 
came  to  London,  and  especially  to  Mr.  H.  W.  Wrench, 
Mr.  W.  C.  Collins,  Mr.  P.  Joyce,  Mr.  Chas.  A. 
Mace,  and  Mr.  J.  H.  Norris. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Mills,  Mr.  Basil  Hewer,  and  Mr. 
Frank  Howe  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associ- 
ation, Mr.  L.  L.  Catt,  Sir  George  Williams's  private 
secretary,  Mr.  Edgar  Rowan,  Mr.  J.  G.  Oddy,  Mrs. 
Hindley,  the  Rev.  G.  J.  Hill,  the  Rev.  Nevile  Sher- 
brooke,  the  Rev.  E.  J.  Jones,  the  Rev.  H.  Epworth 
Thompson,  Mr.  A.  F.  Borton,  Mr.  J.  Marshall  Bad- 
ger, Mr.  P.  J.  Whittaker,  Mr.  A.  Greenwood,  Mr. 
R.  Poynton,  and  Mr.  J.  A.  Stacey  have,  in  ways 
too  numerous  to  mention,  helped  by  placing  at  my 
disposal  the  materials  for  the  composition  of  this 
book. 

In  writing  of  the  history  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  I  have  constantly  made  use 


PREFATORY    NOTE  ix 

of  the  excellent  Historical  Record  by  the  Rev.  J.  G. 
Stevenson,  M.A. 

To  Mr.  W.  Hind  Smith,  who  has  in  the  most 
generous  manner  given  into  my  hands  his  unique 
collection  of  reminiscences,  reports,  and  original  docu- 
ments ;  to  Mr.  R.  C.  Morse,  of  New  York,  who  has 
spent  much  time  and  thought  over  the  chapter  deal- 
ing with  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in 
America;  to  Mr.  J.  H.  Putterill,  of  Exeter  Hall, 
who  has  accorded  me  his  advice  and  help  throughout 
the  work;  and  to  Monsieur  E.  M.  Soutter,  of  Paris, 
and  Monsieur  Sarasin-Warnery,  President  of  the 
World's  Alliance,  I  wish  to  express  my  gratitude. 

My  brother,  Mr.  Percy  Hodder  Williams,  has  been 
at  great  pains  in  revising  the  proofs  and  has  as- 
sisted me  in  many  ways.  To  him  I  tender  my 
warmest  thanks. 

Of  what  I  owe  to  one  other,  without  whose  constant 
aid  and  encouragement  this  work,  written  "  after 
business  hours,"  would  never  have  been  accomplished, 
I  cannot  write.  She  knows. 


J.  E.  HODDER  WILLIAMS. 


BROMLEY  COMMON, 
KENT. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I  „ 

PAGE 
THE  SOIL  AND  THE  CITY  .  3 


CHAPTER   II 

THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND    AND    THE    FATHERS    IN 

CHRIST 21 

CHAPTER   III 
A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY 45 

CHAPTER   IV 
THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN 67 

CHAPTER   V 
THE  UPPER  ROOM  IN  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCHYARD      .     .       95 

CHAPTER  VI 

THE  EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE    YOUNG   MEN'S   CHRISTIAN 

ASSOCIATION       125 

CHAPTER    VII 

THE    WORLD-WIDE    GROWTH    OF   THE    YOUNG    MEN'S 

CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 149 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  VIII 

PAGE 
THE  CRITICAL  YEARS  OF  THE  YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN 

ASSOCIATION 175 

CHAPTER   IX 
THE  YEARS  OF  PROGRESS 203 

CHAPTER   X 
THE  RELIGION  OF  A  SUCCESSFUL  MERCHANT  ....     239 

CHAPTER   XI 
THE  YEARS  OF  TRIUMPH .     .     271 

CHAPTER   XII 
FROM  JUBILEE  TO  JUBILEE 295 

CHAPTER   XIII 
REST 313 

CHAPTER   XIV 
THE  MASTER  BUILDER       .  333 


INDEX  351 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 
ASHWAY    FARM,   NEAR  DULVERTON,  THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  SIR 

GEORGE  WILLIAMS 8 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS'S  HOMELAND .       16 

A  view  from  the  window  of  the  farm  on  the  hill 


THE  VILLAGE  STREET  AT  DULVERTON 


Showing  the  Church  where  Sir  George  Williams  was  baptised,  and 
the  house  where  he  first  went  to  school. 

THE  MOTHER  or  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 40 

From  a  coloured  miniature  in  the  possession  of  Amos  Williams,  Esq. 

HIGH   STREET,  BRIDGWATER,  IN  WHICH  MR.  HOLMES'S   SHOP 

WAS  SITUATED 56 

From  an  old  drawing  in  the  possession  of  George  B.  Sully,  Esq. 

THE  FRIENDS'  MEETING-HOUSE,  BRIDGWATER 72 

Where,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  Sir  George  Williams  signed  the 
"Teetotal  Pledge." 

THE  BRIDGE  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  AT  BRIDGWATER 80 

At  the  end  of  the  bridge  now  stands  the  George  Williams  Me- 
morial Building  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
From  an  old  drawing  in  the  possession  of  George  B.  Sully,  Esq. 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  AS  A  YOUNG  MAN 96 

The  earliest  known  photograph,  taken  soon  after  he  entered 
Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers's. 

WILLIAM  CREESE  AND  JOHN  C.  SYMONDS 112 

The  first  Secretaries  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

EDWARD  VALENTINE  .     .     .     .  ,  .     .     .     ,         112 

"  My  friend  Val "  —  First  Treasurer  of  the  Association. 


xiv  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PACING  PAGE 

EDWARD  BEAUMONT 112 

To  whom  the  idea  of  the  Association  was  first  mentioned  by 
George  Williams. 

A  FACSIMILE  OF  THE  LETTER  ANNOUNCING   THE  FORMATION 

or  THE  YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION   .     .     .     .     128 

C.  W.  SMITH 144 

Who  gave  the  name  to  the  Association. 

EDWARD  ROGERS 144 

One  of  the  twelve  original  members  of  the  Association. 

THE  ORIGINAL  CARD  OF   MEMBERSHIP  OF  THE  YOUNG   MEN'S 

CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 144 

J.  H.  TARLTON 160 

First  Paid  Secretary  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

W.  EDWYN  SHIPTON 160 

Mr.  Tarlton's  successor  and  one  of  the  great  organisers  of  Asso- 
ciation Work. 

HELEN     HITCHCOCK     (LADY     WILLIAMS)   AND     SIR     GEORGE 

WILLIAMS  (AT  THE  AGE  OF  THIRTY-TWO) 176 

From  photographs  taken  at  the  time  of  their  marriage. 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 192 

From  a  photograph  taken  about  1870. 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  IN  1876 196 

From  a  photograph  taken  during  his  visit  to  America. 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  IN  1898 208 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  AT  THE  AGE  OF  SIXTY  208 


EXETER  HALL 


Opened  as  the  headquarters  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation on  March  29,  1881. 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 240 

From  a  photograph  taken  soon  after  the  opening  of  Exeter  Hall  as 
the  headquarters  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  IN  COURT  DRESS 272 

Photographed  on  the  day  he  received  the  honour  of  knighthood 
from  Queen  Victoria. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xv 

FACING  PAGE 

THE  CASKET  ENCLOSING  THE  SCROLL  CONFERRING  THE  FREE- 
DOM or  THE  CITY  OF  LONDON  ON  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 
PRESENTED  AT  THE  GUILD-HALL,  JUNE  4,  1894  .  .  .  280 

THE    FUNERAL    OF    SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS   AT  ST.  PAUL'S 

CATHEDRAL,  NOVEMBER  14,  1905 320 

THE  LAST  RESTING  PLACE  OF  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  IN  ST. 

PAUL'S  CATHEDRAL 328 

THE  LAST  PHOTOGRAPH  OF  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  .  336 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY 


CHAPTER   I 

THE   SOIL  AND   THE   CITY 

A>  they  turned  the  corner  and  the  spire  of 
Bridgwater  Church  rose  into  view  against  the 
evening  sky,  the  boy's  heart  beat  fast.  They  had 
come  within  sight  of  the  end  of  their  journey. 

And  at  the  journey's  end  was  the  beginning  of 
the  world. 

It  had  been  a  long  ride.  Father  and  son  had 
started  in  the  moorland  mist  of  the  early  morning 
from  the  home  hidden  among  the  hills  some  four 
miles  above  Dulverton.  They  had  made  their  way 
slowly,  for  roads  v/ere  bad  in  those  days,  along  the 
narrow  cart-track  which  leads  from  the  farmhouse 
to  the  rough  country  lane,  with  its  treacherous  bor- 
ders of  ditch  and  $ully.  You  will  not  fail  to  notice 
these  if  you  happ-n  to  pass  this  way;  they  must 
be  carefully  watched  if  you  would  escape  an  ugly 
fall;  and  they  are  worth  some  attention,  for,  as 
you  shall  presently  hear,  they  played  a  strange  part 
in  the  career  of  the  hero  of  this  book.  They  rode 
down  the  steep  hill  to  Dulverton  Church,  whose  bells 
were  supposed  to  jhime  out  the  quaint  rhyme  — 


-  GEQtlSE    WILLIAMS 

"  Old  John  Wesley 's  dead  and  gone, 

He  left  us  in  the  tower  ; 
'T  was  his  desire  that  we  should  play 
At  eight  and  twelve  and  vower  " — 

and  where  even  now  the  curfew  is  tolled  morning 
and  night.  They  passed  the  house  at  the  head  of 
the  narrow  village  street  where  the  boy  had  first 
gone  to  school,  following  the  road  of  which  you 
may  read  in  the  pages  of  Lorna  Doone,  where  Jan 
Ridd  first  caught  sight  of  "  a  little  girl,  dark-haired, 
and  very  wonderful,"  across  the  old  stone  bridge 
over  the  River  Barle,  through  Tennyson's  "  land 
of  bubbling  streams,"  and  then  into  that  wonderful 
open  meadow-land,  which  lies  on  the  borders  of 
Somerset  and  Devon,  the  like  of  which  exists  no- 
where else  in  the  world.  Here  the  fields  are  billow 
upon  billow  of  brightest  green,  such  green  as  you 
may  only  see  in  the  West  country,  and  between  the 
meadows  and  orchards  so  "  full  of  contentment,"  in 
an  almost  oriental  contrast  of  colour,  lie  patches  of 
red  earth,  earth  red  as  brick,  red  as  the  dust  of  an 
African  desert,  sometimes  tinged  with  coral  or  shaded 
in  chocolate.  The  chalky  road  brought  them  to 
little  townships,  sheltering  among  a  cluster  of  trees, 
and  in  the  distance,  hidden  in  some  unexpected  cor- 
ner, they  caught  glimpses  of  those  thatched  farm- 
steads, the  time-worn  homes  of  the  yeomen  of  old 
England,  where  only  a  few  years  back  you  might 
still  hear  the  thud  of  the  flail  on  the  threshing- 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY  5 

floor.  Everywhere  was  the  sound  of  brooks,  and 
beyond  and  above  rose  the  grey-brown  Brendon  and 
Quantock  hills. 

At  last  the  fertile  land  was  left  behind.  Late 
in  the  day  they  reached  the  town  of  Bridgwater, 
and  came  to  a  halt  outside  the  drapery  establish- 
ment of  Mr.  Holmes,  which  stands  at  the  head  of 
the  High  Street,  near  the  statue  of  Admiral  Blake, 
that  gallant  old  Republican  who  fought  with  equal 
spirit  and  glory  on  land  and  sea. 

George  Williams  was  going  out  into  the  world. 
The  phrase  is  so  simple  that  its  significance  is  often 
forgotten,  but  it  pictures  one  of  the  supreme  moments 
of  life  —  a  moment  as  solemn,  as  critical,  as  full  of 
joy  and  sorrow,  as  birth  or  death.  Sir  George 
Williams,  as  we  remember  him,  seemed  to  belong  to 
London,  to  be  a  very  part  of  the  City,  as  if  the 
noise  and  dust  of  its  streets  had  been  breathed  into 
him  with  the  breath  of  life ;  but  to  George  Williams, 
the  boy  of  fourteen,  Bridgwater,  the  quiet  country 
town,  which  the  man  of  the  cities  would  now  speak 
of  as  belonging  to  some  far-off  land  of  repose  — 
Bridgwater  was  the  world. 

For  the  farm  where  George  Williams  was  born 
lies  at  the  end  of  everything,  lies  on  the  confines  of 
the  country.  Its  isolation,  even  to-day,  is  complete. 
It  is  the  last  farmstead  before  you  reach  a  pathless 
moorland,  and  the  loneliness  of  that  land,  especially 
in  winter,  when  the  glory  of  gorse  and  heather  and 


6  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

fern  has  faded  and  the  hills  are  shrouded  in  mist, 
is  almost  intolerable. 

True,  it  was  little  more  than  a  twenty-five-mile 
ride  from  the  home  on  the  hills  to  Bridgwater,  but 
as  I  stood  in  the  room  where  George  Williams  slept 
as  a  boy  and  looked  out  on  the  silent  land,  rugged, 
large,  and  desolate,  where  the  eye  searches  long- 
ingly for  some  sight  of  man,  and  thought  of  the 
place  of  his  last  rest  at  the  very  heart  of  crowded 
life,  I  wondered  in  what  terms  oae  might  measure 
the  vast  country  that  lies  between  the  farm  and  the 
town,  between  the  country  town  and  the  Metropolis, 
between  the  farmhouse  and  St.  P;iuFs  Cathedral. 

George  Williams  was  the  youngest  of  the  eight 
sons  of  Amos  and  Elisabeth  Williams,  of  Ashway 
Farm,  Dulverton,  in  the  county  of  Somerset,  and 
was  born  on  October  11,  1821.  The  family  came 
of  generations  of  yeoman  farmers,  and  to  this  day, 
in  spite  of  the  ills  that  have  fallen  in  England  upon 
the  men  of  the  open  life,  the  grandchildren  of  Amos 
Williams  have  never  lost  their  affection  for  the  soil ; 
to  this  day  you  will  find  his  descendants  fighting 
the  everlasting  battle  upon  the  land  of  their  fathers 
against  the  elements  of  the  Almighty  and  the  stress 
of  foreign  competition.  Amos  Williams  belonged 
to  the  days  when  British  farming  was  an  honour- 
able and  honoured  profession.  He  lived  before  the 
time  when  it  degenerated,  as  he  certainly  would 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY  7 

have  thought,  into  a  mere  business,  when  machinery 
and  chemistry  reduced  it  to  the  level  of  a  factory. 
To  his  generation  farming  was  almost  a  form  of 
sport,  not,  of  course,  to  be  taken  too  seriously,  for 
"  no  Devonshire  man  or  Somersetshire  either  ever 
thinks  of  working  harder  than  his  Maker  meant 
for  him,"  and  only  in  most  untoward  circumstances 
would  the  work  on  the  land  be  allowed  to  interfere 
with  the  day's  hunting.  His  home  was  in  the  heart 
of  the  country  of  the  wild  red  deer  and  of  the  hunt- 
ing farmer;  of  the  famous  Exmoor  ponies,  in  build 
like  a  miniature  cart-horse,  in  colour  "  bay  or  brown 
mouse,"  a  herd  of  which  was  bred  by  Sir  Thomas 
Acland  on,  old  Ashway  Farm.  Families  then  lived 
easily,  though  without  luxury,  on  the  land,  while 
the  shadow  of  the  future  was  as  a  man's  hand  in 
the  sky.  Wheaten  bread  was  unknown;  the  food 
was  coarse,  though  abundant.  In  many  of  the 
farmhouses  plates  were  seldom  used.  Instead  of 
these  the  table  was  carved  throughout  its  length 
into  a  series  of  mock  plates,  and  on  these,  accord- 
ing to  a  recent  historian,  the  meat  was  placed. 
Every  day  the  table  was  washed  with  hot  water, 
and  covers  were  set  over  the  imitation  plates  to  keep 
off  the  dust.  It  was  the  custom  to  serve  the  pud- 
ding and  treacle  first,  so  as  to  lessen  the  appetite 
and  effect  a  saving  in  the  meat,  which  consisted  for 
the  most  part  of  salt  pork. 

George  Williams  must  have  seen  in  his  early  boy- 


8  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

hood  much  of  the  rough  and  rude  side  of  life.  Men 
were  still  hanged  for  sheep-stealing,  and  smuggling 
was  carried  on  vigorously  in  the  neighbourhood. 
The  moral  state  of  the  lower  classes  was  pitifully 
low,  their  habits  so  degraded  and  depraved  that 
Devonshire  and  Somerset  were  classed  in  the  unenvi- 
able category  of  counties  presenting  the  agricultural 
labourer  in  his  most  deplorable  circumstances.  Cer- 
tainly the  surroundings  of  George  Williams's  boy- 
hood were  not  calculated  to  foster  false  notions  of 
the  gross  and  brutal  passions  of  his  fellows.  It  is 
often  suggested  that  such  a  young  man  as  George 
Williams  became  must  be  ignorant  of  life,  innocent 
of  the  temptings  of  the  flesh,  and  in  innocence  and 
ignorance  finding  security.  Such  a  charge  could 
never  be  brought  against  the  son  of  a  West  country 
farmer. 

You  may  be  sure  that  these  men  of  the  soil  be- 
longed heart,  body,  and  soul  to  the  old  school  of 
traditional  Toryism.  Their  daily  round  was  bound 
up  in  a  thousand  traditions.  They  were  nursed  on 
legends,  cradled  in  the  superstitions  of  the  West 
country.  The  times,  they  were  forced  to  admit,  were 
moving.  After  almost  a  century  of  discussion  the 
first  Reform  Act  had  been  passed.  Whispers  of 
Chartism  were  in  the  air.  But  they  thanked  God  that 
the  land,  the  soil,  did  not  move  with  the  times,  and  they 
belonged  to  the  land.  A  sturdy,  courageous,  fiery 
race  was  this ;  slow  to  move,  but  terrible  when  roused, 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY  9 

proud  as  the  king,  strong  with  the  strength  of  moun- 
tain and  moor,  a  race  that  had  existed  unchanged  for 
centuries,  but  which  has  been  crowded  out  of  existence 
in  less  than  fifty  years  by  the  force  of  steam  and  the 
whirr  of  machinery.  On  first  acquaintance  you  might 
be  tempted  to  judge  an  Exmoor  man,  as  you  might  a 
Highlander,  dull-witted  on  account  of  his  deliberate 
manner  of  movement  and  of  speech,  but  while  the 
shrewdness  of  the  North  is  proverbial,  it  may  at  least 
be  matched  in  the  West,  and  it  is  no  fancy  to  suppose 
that  as  George  Williams  grew  to  boyhood,  his  father, 
as  keen  at  a  bargain  as  at  following  the  hounds, 
realised  that  the  glory  was  gradually  fading  from 
the  life  on  the  farm  and  was  not  altogether  sorry 
when  circumstances  suggested  another  calling  for 
his  youngest  son. 

George  Williams's  mother  is  remembered  in  Dul- 
verton  as  a  small  and  dainty  old  lady,  simple  and 
charming,  who,  after  her  husband's  death,  caused 
by  the  bite  of  an  adder  at  the  comparatively  early 
age  of  sixty-three,  passed  her  days  among  her 
children  and  children's  children:  always  bright, 
always  sunny,  always  willing  and  anxious  to  help 
everybody  in  every  possible  way.  That  was  the 
memory  I  found  of  her  in  her  own  country,  and 
her  youngest  son  would  have  coveted  no  nobler  epi- 
taph for  himself  although  he  moved  in  a  different  and 
greater  world.  From  his  mother  George  Williams 
certainly  inherited  his  cheery  character,  his  winning 


10  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

manner;  from  his  father  his  indomitable  will,  the 
tremendous  power  of  quiet  determination,  and  un- 
quenchable enthusiasm  which  belongs  in  special 
degree  to  that  countryside  which  fathered  the  men 
who,  under  Blake,  defended  Taunton  for  nearly  a 
year  against  overwhelming  odds,  who  fought  and 
died  like  heroes  at  Sedgmoor,  and  who  never  quailed 
or  flinched  before  all  the  horrors  of  the  Bloody 
Assizes. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  experience  of  George 
Williams's  boyhood  on  the  farm  played  any  great 
part  in  his  subsequent  career.  It  seems,  indeed, 
almost  out  of  place  to  picture  him  in  surroundings 
that  will  always  be  associated  with  the  chase  of  deer 
and  fox,  otter  and  hare.  There  is  no  story  to  tell 
of  nights  spent  in  study,  of  splendid  dreams  and 
thoughts  of  greatness  among  the  hills,  no  record 
of  fierce  longings  and  aspirations  or  precocious  say- 
ings treasured  up  in  family  lore.  You  might  sum 
up  these  early  days  in  the  one  sentence:  He  was 
an  ordinary,  though  somewhat  nervous  and  highly 
strung  boy,  living  the  rather  monotonous  and  un- 
exciting daily  life  of  the  school  and  the  farm.  He 
was  the  liveliest  member  of  the  household,  and,  as  is 
often  the  case  in  a  large  family,  the  youngest  son, 
whose  wits  had  been  sharpened  by  constant  contact 
with  his  elders,  was  allowed  special  license  and  was 
particularly  smart  of  speech  and  quick  at  repartee. 
His  brothers  evidently  looked  to  him  to  provide  the 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY  11 

fun  of  the  farm,  and  he  was  ever  ready  with  some 
droll  story  or  song  when  they  called  upon  him  as 
they  sat  round  the  great  open  log  fire  in  the  winter 
evenings.  His  cheerfulness,  indeed,  in  a  country 
where  moroseness  has  become  something  more  than 
a  pose,  is  the  one  thing  that  seems  to  have  impressed 
those  who  can  still  call  his  boyhood  dimly  to  mind 

-that,  and  the  ruddy  countenance,  the  high  colour 
of  health,  which  he  only  lost  during  the  last  months 
of  his  life. 

The  sons  did  most  of  the  work  of  the  farm,  and 
when,  a  few  years  ago,  George  Williams  visited  his 
early  home,  he  took  particular  delight  in  pointing 
out  the  path  along  which  he  drove  the  sheep  and  the 
cattle  to  the  famous  Torr  Steps,  that  relie  of  a 
prehistoric  causeway  across  the  Barle  which  lies  at 
the  bottom  of  the  hill  on  which  stands  Ashway  Farm, 
and  how,  fearful  of  ghosts  and  goblins  —  for  the 
weirdest  superstitions  abound  in  this  neighbourhood 

—  he  used  as  a  boy  to  call  to  mind  the  old  story  of 
the  way  in  which  the  devil  himself  built  the  bridge 
for  a  wager.  Tennyson  records  a  visit  to  these 
steps  — "  if  it  were  only  to  see  them  the  journey 
is  worth  while "  —  and  his  son  describes  how  de- 
lighted the  poet  was  with  the  sight  of  the  tawny 
cows  cooling  themselves  in  midstream,  of  the  green 
meadows  leading  to  Ashway  on  one  side,  and  of  the 
great  wooded  slope  which  faces  the  farm. 

George   Williams   obtained   his   first   education   at 


12  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  hands  of  Mrs.  Timlett,  who  kept  an  old-fashioned 
dame  school  in  Dulverton  High  Street.  It  was  a 
rough  four-mile  ride  from  Ashway,  and  one  of  his 
earliest  recollections  was  of  riding  to  school  in  the 
early  morning  behind  one  of  the  farm  hands,  tightly 
clasping  the  man's  leather  belt.  At  an  early  age  he 
was  sent  to  Gloyn's  Grammar  School  at  Tiverton, 
the  town  of  the  two  fords  —  following  that  same 
road  from  Dulverton  which  Jan  Ridd  describes  as 
"  not  very  delicate,  yet  nothing  to  complain  of  much 
—  no  deeper  indeed  than  the  hocks  of  a  horse  ex- 
cept in  the  rotten  places."  This  is  not  the  actual 
establishment  described  in  the  first  chapter  of  Lorna 
Doone,  but  Blackmore,  who  drew  the  picture  from 
the  remembrance  of  his  own  school  days,  must  have 
come  to  Tiverton  only  a  year  or  two  after  George 
Williams  left,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that 
Gloyn's  and  the  famous  "  school  of  Blundell's  "  had 
much  in  common.  School  life  was  hard  and  harsh 
everywhere  then,  and  Tiverton  had  a  reputation  for 
roughness  —  it  was  Archbishop  Temple  who  told 
how  at  Blundell's  he  used  to  chastise  Blackmore  by 
striking  him  on  the  head  with  a  brass-headed  hammer 
—  so  that  it  is  no  wonder  that  George  Williams's 
recollections  of  those  days  were  for  the  most  part 
of  privation  and  suffering.  From  time  to  time  Amos 
Williams  would  ride  over  to  Tiverton  to  visit  his 
son,  and  in  this  connection  a  story  is  told  of  another 
farmer  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Dulverton  who, 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY  13 

on  one  occasion,  took  the  father's  place  and  in  part- 
ing with  the  boy  gave  him  a  shilling.  George  Wil- 
liams never  forgot,  and  many  years  afterwards, 
when  the  farmer's  son  came  to  London  and  applied 
for  a  situation  at  the  house  in  St.  Paul's  Church- 
yard, the  head  of  the  establishment  recognised  the 
name  and  went  out  of  his  way  to  give  the  young 
fellow  an  excellent  position,  inquired  constantly 
after  his  welfare,  and  did  everything  in  his  power 
to  advance  his  prospects. 

George  Williams's  religious  upbringing  as  a  boy 
was  of  the  type  that  sufficed  for  the  country  farmer, 
then,  as  now,  a  determined  upholder  of  all  the  tra- 
ditions of  Church  and  State.  He  was  baptised  and 
confirmed  in  the  Church  of  England,  and  attended 
Dulverton  Church  with  his  family  at  somewhat  irreg- 
ular intervals.  No  one  can  be  charged  with  preju- 
dice in  suggesting  that  the  Church  at  that  time  had 
sunk  very  low.  It  was  the  day  of  the  sporting  par- 
son, who  was  a  sportsman  first  of  all  and  last  of  all, 
a  man  upon  whom  the  responsibility  of  a  cure  of 
souls  weighed  with  amazing  lightness,  a  day  of  the 
driest  husks  of  religion.  A  typical  clergyman  of 
the  West  country  in  the  days  of  George  Williams's 
boyhood  has  been  pictured  by  Whyte  Melville  in  his 
Exmoor  story  Katerfelto,  the  scene  of  which  is  laid 
close  to  George  Williams's  home.  "  Parson  Gale," 
he  says,  "  was  one  of  those  ecclesiastics  who  looked 
upon  his  preferment  and  his  parish  as  a  layman 


14  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

of  the  present  day  looks  upon  a  sporting  manor 
and  a  hunting  box.  There  were  few  men  between 
Bodmin  and  Barnstaple  who  could  vie  with  the  parson 
in  tying  a  fly,  tailing  an  otter,  handling  a  game- 
cock, using  the  fists,  cudgelling,  wrestling,  and  on 
occasion  emptying  a  gallon  of  cider  or  a  jack  of 
double  ale.  And  to  these  accomplishments  must  be 
added  no  little  skill  in  doctoring  and  some  practical 
knowledge  of  natural  history.  It  is  not  to  be  sup- 
posed that  the  Rev.  Abner  Gale  found  much  time 
for  those  classical  and  theological  studies,  to  which 
he  had  never  shown  the  slightest  inclination."  The 
religious  atmosphere,  of  which  so  much  is  heard  to- 
day, was  unknown  to  George  Williams's  early  boy- 
hood, and  often  he  must  have  seen  the  prizes  for 
the  village  sports  displayed  within  the  church  itself, 
the  white  hat  decorated  with  ribbons  in  the  place 
of  honour  by  the  reading  desk,  and  have  joined  the 
procession  led  by  the  parson  to  the  village  green, 
where  the  wrestling  and  running  matches  were  held 
immediately  after  the  Sunday  morning  service. 

It  was  a  time  of  great  stirrings  and  strife  in 
the  Church,  a  time  when  England  was  in  the  throes 
of  a  new  birth,  religious,  social,  and  political,  and 
soon  after  George  Williams  left  school  the  sound 
of  these  things  reached  Dulverton.  The  feeling  of 
expectation  and  unrest  penetrated  even  to  the  farm 
on  the  hill.  The  family  was  outgrowing  the  home. 
The  great  polished  table,  the  pride  of  every  West 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY  15 

country  housewife,  was  overcrowded.  The  over- 
worked land  yielded  more  grudgingly ;  prices  ruled 
high  when  the  farmer  bought  and  low  when  he  sold. 
One  of  the  sons  was  thinking  of  starting  a  business 
for  himself  at  Dulverton,  and  round  the  family 
board  there  was  no  small  discussion  as  to  George's 
future.  After  leaving  school  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
he  took  up  the  work  of  the  farm  in  earnest,  but  the 
brothers  were  not  altogether  satisfied  with  the  way 
he  was  shaping.  Had  he,  after  all,  the  making  of  a 
farmer  in  him?  For  some  reason  he  did  not  take 
kindly  to  the  land,  it  actually  seemed  as  if  the  love 
of  the  chase  had  not  been  bred  in  his  bones.  The 
desire  for  the  larger  life  —  a  feeling  almost  inex- 
plicable to  the  true  British  farmer  who,  to  this  day, 
in  spite  of  all  his  grumblings,  is  unable  to  conceive 
how  any  sensible  creature  can  choose  the  town  when 
he  might  live  on  the  land,  and  who  even  now,  as  I 
myself  have  heard,  wonders  what  a  man  can  find  to 
do  with  himself  all  day  long  in  London  —  was  be- 
ginning to  stir  his  fancy  and  dominate  his  dreams. 
And  then,  as  he  would  tell  in  after  years,  a  load  of 
hay  and  a  rut  in  the  road  settled  the  question. 
George  was  leading  a  cart  of  hay  home  to  the  rick 
in  the  yard.  The  clouds  were  coming  over  the  hills 
and  everything  was  being  pressed  forward  to  escape 
the  storm.  He  was  not  watching  his  horses  with  the 
necessary  care  —  one  would  like  to  imagine  that  he 
had  lost  himself  in  visions  of  great  work  in  the 


16  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

future,  but  he  himself  has  admitted  that  he  could  find 
no  such  excuse  and  that  the  accident  arose  from  pure 
thoughtlessness  —  and  in  a  moment  the  cart  was 
overturned  and  horses,  hay,  and  the  boy  were  in  the 
ditch.  That,  said  the  father  and  elder  brothers  in 
solemn  conclave,  ends  the  matter  once  and  for  all. 
George  will  never  make  a  farmer.  He  is  fit  only 
for  the  town,  and  to  town  he  shall  go.  In  their 
judgment  they  could  not  have  meted  out  a  more 
severe  punishment.  It  was  a  sentence  of  banishment. 
The  brother  in  Dulverton  was  consulted,  and  sug- 
gested that  George  might  be  apprenticed  to  a  draper 
with  whom  he  was  acquainted  in  Bridgwater. 

And  outside  this  draper's  shop  father  and  son 
drew  rein  on  this  evening  in  the  summer  of  1836. 

George  Williams  had  entered  the  world. 

This  book,  which  is  a  tribute  to  a  man  of  the 
city,  a  man  who  for  more  than  half  a  century  Worked 
day  and  night  in  the  crowded,  throbbing  shadow  of 
the  Cathedral,  raised  upon  the  very  heart  of  the 
world,  begins  then  with  a  tribute  to  the  man  of 
the  soil,  to  the  soil  itself.  We  know  a  little  of  the 
falseness  of  the  picture  of  simple  life  on  the  land 
so  beloved  of  poets  and  a  certain  class  of  social 
reformer ;  we  have  learnt  something  of  its  sordid 
side,  of  the  meanness  of  its  petty  interests,  of  its 
viciousness,  its  narrowness,  and  the  tragedy  of  an 
endless  struggle  to  wake  a  tired  soil  into  fruitful 


THE    SOIL    AND    THE    CITY  17 

activity.  But  we  men  of  the  smoke  and  grime,  of  the 
narrow,  noisy  street  and  stifling  warehouse,  realise, 
too,  how  intolerable  a  thing  this  feverish  life  of  ours 
will  be  for  the  children  of  those  whose  blood  has 
never  been  purified  by  the  rare,  keen  air  from  a  thou- 
sand hills,  whose  sinews  have  never  fought  their  way 
to  strength  and  toughness  against  the  wind  and  the 
storm,  whose  whole  being  is  builded  on  the  lines  of 
least  resistance.  The  men  from  God's  out-of-doors, 
these  are  the  men  who  have  done  and  will  do  the 
great  things  for  God  and  man  in  the  world  of  the 
strenuous  life.  Watch  how  the  children's  children  are 
paying  the  price  of  the  city  born  and  you  will  realise 
what  a  mighty  part  physical  force  is  playing  in  this 
fight  for  existence.  Look  out  for  the  man  who  has 
the  brain  of  the  city  in  the  body  from  the  country ; 
he  is  the  man  who  wins.  From  the  bleak  wilds  of  the 
North  and  the  open  lands  of  the  South,  day  by  day 
men  are  still  pouring  in  to  the  cities  and  towns,  all 
dowered  with  the  supreme  gift  of  good  health,  still 
pouring  in  as  they  did  seventy  years  ago  when  George 
Williams  arrived  in  Bridgwater. 

George  Williams  owed  something  to  the  soil,  more 
perhaps  than  he  admitted  to  himself,  for  he  was  a 
townsman  bred  if  not  born,  a  man  with  all  the  in- 
stincts of  the  city.  None  who  knew  him  could  fail 
to  be  impressed  by  his  extraordinary  physical  energy, 
by  his  power  of  endurance  even  to  the  end,  by  the 
mighty  reserves  of  force  that  lay  in  the  little  frame 


18  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

and  held  disease  at  bay  and  again  and  again  defied 
even  Death.  He  took  no  exercise,  no  recreation.  He 
never  attended  to  his  bodily  well-being  or  comfort. 
He  laughed  at  any  suggestion  of  harbouring  his 
strength.  From  morning  till  night,  throughout  the 
years,  he  toiled  with  body  and  brain,  taking  no 
thought  of  health,  ignoring,  it  seemed,  the  simplest 
precautions,  stretching  and  straining  every  nerve 
to  its  utmost  limit,  allowing  himself  no  moment  for 
recuperation.  And  yet  he  lived  to  be  eighty-four, 
and  crowded  into  his  life  the  work  of  ten. 

God-given  this  power  was,  we  know,  but  some- 
thing of  its  secret  lay  in  his  "  Exmoor  toughness," 
in  the  deeps  of  his  chest  and  the  mighty  capacity  of 
his  heart  and  lungs,  in  that  splendid  inheritance  from 
the  men  of  the  moors,  from  his  boyhood  on  the  hills. 


THE  SPIRITUAL  HOMELAND  AND 
THE  FATHERS  IN  CHRIST 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   SPIRITUAL   HOMELAND   AND   THE 
FATHERS   IN   CHRIST 

"  T  ENTERED  Bridgwater  a  careless,  thoughtless, 
JL   godless,  swearing  young  fellow  "  —  thus  George 
Williams  made  confession  in  after  years. 

He  left  Bridgwater  an  earnest,  enthusiastic,  whole- 
hearted worker  for  Christ  and  His  Kingdom. 

The  change  was  wrought  very  quietly.  It  was  the 
outcome  of  no  sudden  shock  of  emotion,  no  visible 
upheaval  of  spirit.  George  Williams  had,  it  is  true, 
an  unswerving  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  "  religious 
excitements,"  as  the  old  preachers  called  them.  In 
his  time  he  witnessed  many  such  revivals,  at  which 
multitudes  were  stirred,  as  by  the  voice  of  a  prophet, 
into  an  agony  of  abasement  and  terror,  when  the 
Spirit  strove  openly  with  men  and  demons  were  pub- 
licly cast  out.  He  took  a  personal  and  prominent 
share  in  some  of  the  most  wonderful  of  these  missions. 
He  was  largely  instrumental  in  arranging  for  Moody 
and  Sankey's  campaigns,  and  one  of  his  last  public 
appearances  was  connected  with  the  work  of  Messrs. 
Torrey  and  Alexander.  But  he  himself  was  not 


22  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

called  by  earthquake,  fire,  or  great  and  strong  wind. 
He  was  the  child  of  the  still  small  Voice. 

Of  the  first  two  years  spent  with  Mr.  Holmes,  the 
Bridgwater  draper,  we  know  little,  except  that  the 
boy  was  uniformly  attentive  to  his  duties  in  the  shop, 
a  favourite  with  the  other  apprentices,  and  remark- 
ably successful  behind  the  counter,  particularly  in 
serving  lady  customers.  In  some  inexplicable  man- 
ner this  farmer's  son  was  born  to  the  business,  his 
knowledge  and  taste  were  intuitive.  One  of  the  as- 
sistants, Miss  Thomas,  who  afterwards  married 
George  Williams' s  friend  and  fellow- worker,  Mr. 
Beaumont,  of  Oxford,  recorded  some  years  since  that 
her  memory  of  the  young  apprentice  was  of  a  re- 
markably active,  ruddy-faced  boy,  very  diligent  and 
persevering,  and  especially  clever  at  haberdashery. 
In  his  spare  hours  he  would  make  up  lists  of  every 
detail  he  could  lay  hands  on  as  to  prices  and  cus- 
tomers, and  his  pockets  were  generally  filled  with 
business  papers  of  all  kinds. 

In  those  days  the  drapery  trade  was  not  often 
specialised  in  departments.  The  country  apprentice 
had  to  begin  at  the  beginning  and  enjoyed  the  enor- 
mous advantage  of  being  compelled  to  learn  every 
detail  of  the  business.  As  the  youngest  and  last  comer 
George  Williams  swept  out  the  shop,  ran  errands, 
and  filled  his  time  with  odd  jobs  of  various  kinds. 
There  were  twenty-seven  assistants  in  Mr.  Holmes's 
house,  for  he  was  the  principal  draper  in  the  neigh- 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          23 

bourhood,  and  all  "  lived  in."  It  is  not  a  little  curi- 
ous that  the  old  custom  which  prevailed  in  London 
in  the  time  of  Dick  Whittington,  of  forming  the 
employees  in  a  drapery  establishment  into  a  kind  of 
large  family,  has  survived  all  these  years.  The 
system  has  many  crying  disadvantages,  is  open  to 
much  abuse,  and  is  rapidly  passing  out  of  favour, 
but  in  the  case  of  a  master  who  regarded  his  re- 
sponsibilities with  just  seriousness  it  was  not  without 
compensations,  for  in  such  instances  there  was  a 
wholesome  element  of  control  and  discipline  in  the 
arrangement.  The  hours  of  work  were  excessive,  and 
the  morals  and  conversation  of  many  of  the  assist- 
ants in  the  Bridgwater  shop  anything  but  inspiring. 
Still  there  was  in  this  establishment  a  definite  re- 
ligious atmosphere,  due  no  doubt  to  the  influence 
of  Mr.  Holmes,  who  was  a  regular  attendant  at  the 
old  Zion  Congregational  Chapel,  and  whose  custom 
it  was  to  insist  that  all  the  members  of  his  staff 
should  attend  his  own  place  of  worship  each  Sunday 
morning.  A  clause  to  this  effect  was  included  in  the 
apprenticeship  indentures,  and  this  rule  greatly  an- 
noyed George  Williams,  brought  up  as  he  had  been 
in  the  Establishment.  He  has  recorded,  however, 
that  when  he  was  inclined  to  protest  against  such  a 
stipulation  his  mother  very  characteristically  re- 
marked that  he  could  go  to  the  parish  church  in  the 
afternoon  "  to  make  up  for  it." 

In    a   letter   which   has    come   into   my   possession 


24  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

George  Williams  writes :  "  There  were  two  other  ap- 
prentices whom  I  soon  found  were  different  to  myself. 
I  was  much  given  to  swearing,  and  I  saw  increasingly 
that  they  were  going  to  heaven,  but  that  I  was  on 
the  downward  road  to  hell.  I  now  began  to  pray, 
but,  even  on  my  knees,  oaths  would  come  into  my 
lips.  I  had  been  brought  up  a  Churchman,  but  my 
master  required  all  his  assistants  to  attend  his  own 
chapel.  The  gentleman  who  introduced  me  to  the 
Bridgwater  draper  was  himself  a  Unitarian,  and 
on  Sundays  would  invite  me  to  dine  with  him,  and 
then  take  me  to  his  own  chapel.  But  gradually  I 
began  to  see  that  the  doctrine  which  made  light  of 
the  sacrifice  of  Christ  could  not  be  right,  and  one 
Sunday  when  there  had  been  an  eclipse  of  the  sun 
I  told  the  gentleman  there  was  a  new  minister  at 
the  Congregational  Chapel  and  I  intended  to  go  there. 
'  Oh,  nonsense ! '  he  replied,  '  our  minister  is  going 
to  preach  on  the  eclipse  of  the  sun ;  you  must  come 
and  hear  him.'  '  No,'  I  said,  '  I  will  not.'  '  Well,' 
said  the  gentleman,  '  go  if  you  like,  but  I  will  have 
nothing  more  to  do  with  you.'  He  went  to  my  par- 
ents and  said  he  was  afraid  George  would  be  no  more 
good,  as  he  had  turned  '  Methody.'  So  the  whole 
family  consulted  together  as  to  what  had  better  be 
done,  and  at  last  one  of  my  brothers  wisely  remarked, 
6 1  should  advise  you  to  leave  George  alone,  as  it  is 
possible  he  may  be  right  and  we  may  be  wrong ! '  " 
Of  those  who  so  greatly  influenced  him  at  this 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          25 

time  I  can  learn  but  little,  and  yet  I  would  write  the 
names  of  his  fellow-assistants,  Miss  Harris,  Miss 
Gerard,  Miss  Thomas,  and  William  Harman,  large 
across  this  chapter,  for,  unknowing,  they  played 
their  part  in  the  moulding  of  a  great  man  and  in  the 
making  of  a  great  movement.  Surely  they  have 
their  reward,  the  reward  laid  up  for  those  who  make 
ready  the  ground  for  the  sower  of  the  seed.  George 
Williams  had  many  earnest  talks  with  his  fellow- 
apprentice,  William  Harman,  who  afterwards  was 
prominent  in  the  religious  life  of  Bridgwater,  "  a 
man,"  as  one  who  knew  him  writes,  "  of  earnest 
piety,  great  energy  and  determination,  with  the 
heart  of  a  child,"  and  to  this  young  man  George 
Williams  often  expressed  deep  gratitude.  But  it  was 
the  life,  not  the  word,  that  first  attracted  him,  and 
that,  I  doubt  not,  was  one  of  the  reasons  why  the 
founder  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
ever  dwelt  on  the  supreme  importance  of  living 
Christ,  ever  preached  the  immeasurable  possibilities 
of  a  single  Christian  life.  "  I  felt,"  he  said  once 
in  speaking  of  these  days,  "  that  there  was  a  dif- 
ference between  me  and  these  other  assistants,  and 
I  tried  to  discover  what  it  was."  The  doctrines  of 
Unitarianism,  which  at  that  time  had  a  large  and 
influential  following  in  the  West  country,  failed  to 
answer  his  questionings,  and  if,  in  after  years,  he 
was  a  strenuous  foe  to  all  that  savoured  of  mini- 
mising the  importance  of  the  deity  of  Christ  and 


26  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

His  vicarious,  atoning  sacrifice,  it  was  because  in 
his  boyhood,  when  seeking  for  light,  he  found  only 
greater  darkness  in  humanitarianism. 

One  Sunday  evening  —  it  was  in  the  winter  of 
1837,  when  he  was  just  sixteen  years  old  —  he  sat 
alone  in  a  back  seat  in  the  little  Congregational 
Chapel  now  used  as  the  barracks  of  the  Salvation 
Army.  The  minister  was  the  Rev.  Evan  James, 
a  man  "  of  gentle  spirit  and  holy  life,  whose  grasp 
of  principle  was  very  firm,"  who  had  established  a 
great  hold  on  the  young  people  of  the  town.  Noth- 
ing is  known  of  the  sermon  preached  that  evening, 
even  the  text  is  unrecorded,  and  it  does  not  appear 
that  the  preacher  was  possessed  of  any  special  gift 
of  eloquence,  of  any  outstanding  power  of  persua- 
sion. No  one  can  tell  what  arrow  from  God's  sheaf 
entered  the  boy's  heart.  You  must  remember  that 
he  was  seeking  Christ,  and  was  placing  himself  in 
the  way  of  finding  Him.  George  Williams  did  not 
make  the  mistake,  so  common  with  young  men,  of 
requiring  some  special  dispensation,  some  peculiar 
heavenly  vision ;  to  make  use  of  the  old  phrase,  he 
did  not  despise  the  means  of  grace.  Many  years 
later  at  the  opening  of  the  splendid  building  devoted 
to  the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion which  now  overlooks  the  river  at  Bridgwater, 
and  which  was  erected  mainly  by  his  efforts  as  a 
thank-offering  for  his  spiritual  homeland,  he  said: 
"  It  is  not  easy  to  forget  one's  first  love.  I  first 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          27 

learnt  in  Bridgwater  to  love  my  dear  Lord  and  Sa- 
viour for  what  He  had  done  for  me.  I  learnt  at 
Bridgwater  to  see  the  vital  importance,  the  tre- 
mendous importance,  of  the  spiritual  life.  I  saw 
in  this  town  two  roads,  the  downward  road  and  the 
upward  road.  I  began  to  reason,  and  said  to  myself, 
'  What  if  I  continue  along  this  downward  road, 
where  shall  I  get  to,  where  is  the  end  of  it,  what  will 
become  of  me?  '  Thank  God,  I  kept  in  the  clean 
path,  nevertheless  I  was  on  the  downward  road.  I 
saw  that  this  road  would  certainly  lead  me  to  spend 
my  eternity  with  the  devil  and  his  angels,  and  I 
said,  '  Cannot  I  escape?  Is  there  no  escape?  '  They 
told  me  in  this  very  town  of  Bridgwater  how  to  es- 
cape —  Confess  your  sins,  accept  Christ,  trust  in 
Him,  yield  your  heart  to  the  Saviour." 

Some  men  may  write  of  the  psychology  of  con- 
version, but  I  would  not  attempt  to  probe  and  search 
the  great  secret  which  a  man  may  share  only  with 
his  Maker.  This  only  need  be  said:  that  night  was 
the  beginning,  the  point  of  turning.  On  his  return 
from  Zion  Chapel  George  Williams  knelt  down  at 
the  back  of  the  shop  and  gave  his  heart  to  God. 
"  God  helped  me,"  he  said  very  simply,  in  speaking 
of  his  conversion,  "  to  yield  myself  wholly  to  Him. 
I  cannot  describe  to  you  the  joy  and  peace  which 
flowed  into  my  soul  when  first  I  saw  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  had  died  for  my  sins,  and  that  they  were  all 
forgiven." 


28  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

George  Williams  was  admitted  a  member  of  the 
Church  on  February  14,  1838.  The  record  runs: 
"  Proposed  by  Rev.  E.  James  .  .  .  dismissed  (trans- 
ferred) to  London  the  Rev.  T.  Binney."  He  at- 
tended his  first  Church  meeting  on  the  end  of  March, 
1838,  and  at  once  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  work 
of  the  Church,  indeed  at  the  first  meeting  he  is  noted 
as  seconding  the  motion  for  the  election  of  deacons. 
Immediately  afterwards  he  joined  some  others  in  the 
establishment  of  a  prayer  meeting  in  a  room  ad- 
joining the  business  premises,  and  after  attending 
for  a  time  the  Bible  Class  conducted  by  the  father 
of  James  Sully,  the  eminent  psychologist,  became  an 
ardent  worker  in  the  Sunday  School. 

"  It  is  not  how  little  but  how  much  we  can  do  for 
others  "  —  that  was  the  motto  of  every  moment  from 
sixteen  to  eighty-four.  His  being  was  tuned  to  that 
keynote  at  the  very  moment  he  made  his  great  de- 
cision, and  through  all  his  days  you  might  hear  the 
insistent  refrain :  "  He  lived  not  unto  himself  but 
to  the  glory  of  God  and  in  the  service  of  men." 

A  man  never  escapes  altogether  from  the  influence 
of  his  first  heart's  home,  and  it  is  true  in  the  realm 
of  religion  that  the  child  is  father  to  the  man.  The 
spiritual  history  of  the  great  religious  teachers  and 
workers  through  the  ages  bears  witness  that,  in  spite 
of  turmoil  within  and  controversy  without,  of  change 
in  doctrine  and  outward  semblance  of  belief,  in  spite 
of  the  wider  range  of  intellect  which  grows  with  the 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          29 

years  and  which  might  well  blot  out  the  recollection 
of  the  early  home,  these  men  never  escape,  nor,  in 
their  heart  of  hearts,  wish  to  escape,  from  the  vision 
which  came  to  them  in  the  birthplace  of  their  souls. 
There  is  in  the  new  birth  more  than  a  verbal  resem- 
blance to  natural  birth,  the  expression  "  Fathers  in 
Christ "  is  more  than  a  beautiful  phrase.  And  in 
all  our  roamings  of  spirit  there 's  no  place  like 
home. 

George  Williams's  spiritual  homeland  was  a  shop. 
The  silent,  mighty  power  of  the  Christian  life  lived 
under  the  ordinary  commonplace  circumstances  of 
business,  that  was  the  memory  of  his  homeland  which 
he  carried  with  him  through  changing  scenes  and 
years.  Although  he  was  one  of  those  happy  men 
who  can  point  to  the  hour  and  place  of  the  changed 
life,  of  the  end  and  the  beginning,  it  was  the  life, 
not  the  word,  of  other  Christians  that  first  prepared 
the  way  of  the  Lord  to  his  heart,  Did  he  ever  forget  ? 

And  the  Fathers  in  Christ?  First  of  all,  the  Rev. 
Evan  James,  the  man  of  no  reputation,  and,  as  far 
as  we  know,  of  no  peculiar  talents.  Let  the  servant 
of  the  Most  High,  who  labours  in  that  most  barren 
land  of  country  church  and  chapel,  often,  it  seems, 
more  barren  of  hope  than  the  most  unlovely  lands  of 
heathenism,  wearily  waiting  and  watching  for  sign 
of  harvest  among  the  decorous  respectability  which 
listens  to  him  Sunday  after  Sunday,  men  and  women 
of  such  cramped  hearts  and  souls  that  in  them  he 


SO  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

is  sometimes  tempted  to  think  the  Son  of  Man  hath 
not  where  to  lay  His  head  —  let  him,  in  the  heavi- 
ness of  his  spirit,  take  heart  of  grace.  George 
Williams  is  the  brightest  gem  in  the  unfading  crown 
of  a  simple  country  minister  of  the  Gospel,  who,  in 
the  common  round  of  his  work,  without  taking  special 
thought  or  making  special  appeal,  was  the  means  of 
leading  him  to  the  Master. 

Did  George  Williams  ever  forget?  When  riches 
and  honour  came  to  him  it  was  ever  one  of  his  chief 
delights  to  help  and  encourage  the  humblest  minister 
of  the  Gospel  wherever  he  might  be  stationed.  He 
believed,  with  all  the  certainty  that  came  from  the 
memory  of  the  little  chapel  in  Bridgwater,  that  the 
service  for  Christ  unceasingly  rendered  in  pulpit  and 
on  platform,  by  minister  and  missioner,  is  never 
wasted,  never  lost,  never  in  vain. 

And  then,  following  this  unknown  minister,  there 
enters  the  homeland  the  famous  and  startling  figure 
of  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Finney,  the  great  American 
evangelist.  Years  afterwards,  when  Finney  was 
conducting  his  second  campaign  in  London,  George 
Williams  attended  his  meetings,  but  it  was  through 
Finney's  books  —  his  Lectures  to  Professing  Chris- 
tians and  his  Lectures  on  Revivals  of  Religion  —  that 
this  man's  remarkable  personality  first  entered  the 
spiritual  homeland  of  George  Williams.  No  one  shall 
ever  measure  the  power  for  good  that  lies  and  shall 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          31 

ever  lie  in  a  good  book.  To  Law's  Serious  Call  we 
owe  George  Whitefield,  and  to  these  printed  lectures 
by  Finney  is  certainly  due  much  of  the  zeal  and  pas- 
sion which  produced  the  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation. These  books  were  first  published  in  1837, 
and  must  have  fallen  into  George  Williams's  hands 
in  the  first  glow  of  his  religious  faith.  They  fanned 
it  into  a  flame  which  became  a  devouring  fire.  For 
such  a  young  man  no  more  inspiring  works  could 
have  been  found.  George  Williams  was  not  a  student, 
not  a  great  reader ;  matters  of  criticism  and  details 
of  doctrine  always  failed  to  excite  his  interest.  He 
knew  nothing  and  cared  nothing  about  the  results  of 
linguistic  or  historical  enquiry  into  the  authenticity 
of  the  Scriptures.  There  was  neither  poetry  nor 
mysticism  in  his  being,  and  only  a  very  practical 
religion  would  have  appealed  to  him.  He  belonged 
to  that  generation  of  great  men  who  in  the  twink- 
ling of  an  eye  were  born,  it  would  seem,  into  the  ful- 
ness of  their  faith.  Once  the  decision  made,  no 
questionings  seemed  to  trouble  him.  He  was  dis- 
turbed by  no  doubts.  What  he  believed,  he  believed 
with  all  his  might.  For  a  man  whose  aim  was  to 
make  others  believe,  no  endowment  could  compare  with 
this  power  of  unshaken,  unshakable  faith.  And  yet 
there  was  nothing  of  complacency  in  his  nature,  his 
conscience  was  very  tender.  What  was  the  secret 
of  these  men  —  for  George  Williams  was  typical  of 
many  others  of  his  time?  They  worked — all  their 


m  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

energies,  spiritual,  mental,  physical,  were  concen- 
trated in  doing  things.  They  had  no  time  to  talk  or 
dream.  For  good  or  for  evil  they  had  little  time 
even  to  think.  There  was,  of  course,  more  than  a 
touch  of  harshness  and  of  hardness  in  this  certainty 
of  belief  which  is  peculiarly  unattractive  to  these 
latter  days  when  men  sometimes  place  Charity  on  the 
throne  of  the  Almighty.  In  Finney's  books  you  will 
find  the  secret,  not  only  of  George  Williams's  cer- 
tainty of  belief,  but  also  of  his  absorbing  passion  for 
souls  and  for  the  work  that  wins  souls.  As  you  read 
these  addresses  you  will  note  phrases,  sentences, 
points  of  view  which  will  at  once  be  recognised  as 
having  been  adopted  in  their  entirety  by  George 
Williams,  and,  more  than  that,  there  are  episodes 
recounted  by  Charles  Finney,  episodes  connected 
particularly  with  the  visible  and  tangible  results  of 
prayer,  which  might  be  matched,  almost  word  for 
word,  from  the  experiences  of  George  Williams. 

Prayer  —  that  was  the  rock  upon  which  Charles 
Finney  built,  upon  which  he  taught  George  Williams 
to  build.  "  I  heard,"  he  said  in  one  of  his  addresses, 
"  of  a  person  who  prayed  for  sinners,  and  finally 
got  into  such  a  state  of  mind  that  she  could  not  live 
without  prayer.  She  could  not  rest  day  or  night 
unless  there  was  some  one  praying  by  her  side;  she 
would  shriek  in  agony  if  the  prayer  ceased,  and  this 
continued  for  two  days  until  she  prevailed  in  prayer 
and  her  soul  was  relieved."  George  Williams  knew 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          33 

what  it  was  to  experience  that  deep  travail  of  spirit 
when  a  man  lays  hold  on  God  for  a  blessing  and  will 
not  let  Him  go  until  he  has  received  it.  There  came 
a  time  when  he,  too,  agonised  in  spirit  for  the  souls 
of  men,  separately,  individually ;  and  would  cease 
suddenly  from  this  wrestling  with  Jehovah,  cease 
because  he  knew,  with  an  absolute  certainty  which 
no  man  can  explain,  that  a  soul  was  his  to  give  back 
to  God. 

Prayer _with ...  a  .definite  object  was  Finney's 


he  was  always  pleading  against  the  random  prayer 
which  accomplished  little  or  nothing.  Unceasing 
prayer,  too,  he  taught ;  he  was  an  apostle  of  the  cal- 
lous knees.  He  would  often  speak  of  him  of  whom 
it  was  written  that  his  knees  were  callous,  like  a 
camel's,  for  he  had  prayed  so  much. 

And  with  all  his  fervour  and  burning  zeal,  Finney 
was  a  man  of  the  utmost  practical  common  sense.  To 
him  the  man  who  did  not  make  the  business  in  which 
he  was  engaged  a  part  of  his  religion,  did  not  serve 
God ;  such  religion  was  "  the  laughing-stock  of  hell." 
There  was  good,  sound  common  sense,  too,  in  much 
of  his  advice  as  to  the  way  of  speaking  to  men  on  the 
subject  of  Salvation  —  advice  George  Williams  cer- 
tainly laid  to  heart.  "  Take  him,"  says  Finney, 
"  when  he  is  in  a  good  temper.  If  you  find  him  out 
of  humour  very  probably  he  will  get  angry  and  abuse 
you.  Better  let  him  alone  for  that  time  or  you  will 
be  likely  to  quench  the  Spirit.  It  is  possible  that  you 

3 


34  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

may  be  able  to  talk  in  such  a  way  as  to  cool  his  tem- 
per—  but  it  is  not  likely." 

And,  above  all,  Finney  was  never  weary  of  press- 
ing upon  men  the  awful  responsibility  of  each  single 
individual.  In  one  tremendous  passage  he  cries: 
"  Here  you  are,  going  to  the  judgment,  red  all  over 
with  blood.  Sinners  are  to  meet  you  there;  those 
who  have  seen  how  you  live,  many  of  them  already 
dead,  and  others  you  will  never  see  again.  What 
an  influence  you  have  exerted!  Perhaps  hundreds 
of  souls  will  meet  you  in  the  judgment  and  curse 
you  (if  they  are  allowed  to  speak)  for  leading 
them  to  hell  by  practically  denying  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel." 

To  Finney  the  great  business  on  earth  of  every 
Christian  was  to  save  souls.  "  If  you  are  thus  neg- 
lecting the  main  business  of  life,"  he  writes,  "  what 
are  you  living  for?  " 

I  have  quoted  these  few  phrases  from  Finney's 
books  because  they  are  little  known  by  the  younger 
generations,  and  because,  as  can  easily  be  seen,  they 
did  much  to  mould  and  make  George  Williams  what 
he  was.  He  adopted,  he  absorbed  Finney's  creed. 
To  him,  from  the  day  of  his  conversion,  to  live  was 
Christ  and  to  bring  to  Christ  all  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact;  in  season,  out  of  season,  always,  every- 
where, to  preach  Christ. 

There  was  another  side  to  Finney's  teaching  of 
which  it  would  not  be  so  pleasant  to  write.  He  was 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          35 

at  times  intolerant  and  bitter,  and  even  the  Rev.  J. 
Barker,  who  wrote  the  preface  to  the  collected  ad- 
dresses, finds  him  "  infested  with  the  errors  of  reli- 
gious fatalism."  He  attacks,  for  instance,  the  humble 
habit  of  drinking  tea  and  coffee,  which  are  "  well 
known  to  be  positively  injurious ;  intolerable  to  weak 
stomachs  and  as  much  as  the  strongest  can  dispose 
of,"  and  points  out  how  fearful  a  thing  it  is  to  think 
of  the  Church  alone  spending  millions  on  its  tea  tables, 
when  a  world  is  going  to  hell  for  want  of  their  help. 
"  Parties  of  pleasure,  balls,  novel-reading,  and  other 
methods  of  wasting  time "  are  unreservedly  con- 
demned. "  Practise  the  worldly  customs  of  New 
Year's  Day,"  he  says,  "  if  you  dare  —  at  the  peril 
of  your  soul."  "  Christians  ought  to  be  singular 
in  dress  as  becomes  a  peculiar  people,  and  thus  pour 
contempt  on  the  fashions  of  the  ungodly  in  which 
they  are  dancing  their  way  to  hell."  "  Christian 
lady,"  he  writes,  "  have  you  never  doubted  whether 
it  be  lawful  to  copy  the  extravagant  fashions  of 
the  day  brought  from  foreign  countries  and  from 
places  which  it  would  be  shame  even  to  name?  And 
if  you  doubt  and  do  it  you  are  condemned  and  must 
repent  of  your  sin  or  you  will  be  lost  for  ever."  I 
am  compelled  to  note  these  examples  of  Finney's 
extreme  narrowness  because  this  aspect  of  his  teach- 
ing undoubtedly  had  its  influence  upon  George  Wil- 
liams. It  might  have  had  a  still  greater  effect,  a 
very  damaging  effect  upon  his  life  and  work,  if  it 


36  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

had  not  been  that  he  was  privileged  to  come  under 
the  sweet  and  mellowing  teaching  of  a  second  Father 
in  Christ.  It  is  hard  to  imagine  a  man  who  adopted 
everything  from  Charles  Finney  and  still  kept  his 
hold  upon  young  men  throughout  two  generations 
of  intellectual  progress.  If  George  Williams  had 
been  fashioned  only  by  Finney,  how  he  would  have 
antagonised  and  alienated  some  of  the  finest  charac- 
ters he  attracted  to  his  side.  But  all  that  was  for- 
bidding and  harsh  in  the  teaching  of  Charles  Finney 
was  smoothed  and  polished  and  rendered  beautiful  by 
the  influence  of  Thomas  Binney.  Here,  of  course, 
we  anticipate  a  little,  for  it  was  after  he  left  Bridg- 
water  for  London  and  became  a  regular  attendant 
at  the  Weigh  House,  whose  pulpit  was  at  that  time 
"  beyond  all  question  the  most  attractive  and  most 
important  in  its  moral  influence  in  the  City  of  Lon- 
don," that  he  fell  under  the  spell  of  one  who  rounded 
off  and  completed  the  work  that  Charles  Finney  had 
hewn  in  the  rough.  These  two  men,  Charles  Finney 
and  Thomas  Binney,  great  men  both  in  their  sev- 
eral ways,  who  thus  met  and  joined  in  the  heart  and 
life  of  George  Williams,  had  hardly  a  trait  in  com- 
mon, except  devotion  to  a  common  Master.  And  the 
order  of  their  coming  was  of  God.  A  man  upon  whom 
Binney  had  first  laid  his  hand  would  no  doubt  have 
been  repelled  by  the  unattractive  side  of  Finney 's 
religion,  so  repelled  that  he  would  probably  have  been 
untouched  by  its  inspiring  power,  and  without  Charles 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          37 

Finney  —  "I  report  as  a  man  may  of  God's  work  " 
—  there  had  been  no  George  Williams. 

Do  not  let  me  be  misunderstood.  I  am  not  exalting 
one  Father  in  Christ  above  another.  Some  element 
of  fanaticism,  of  exaggeration,  of  bigotry,  if  the 
word  must  be  used,  is  essential  in  the  initial  stages 
of  every  great  movement.  That  element  Thomas 
Binney  could  never  have  supplied.  It  is  true  that 
there  was  a  time  when  he  was  engaged  in  controversy 
of  a  particularly  bitter  nature,  but  into  this  he  was 
forced  by  an  unguarded  phrase,  and  his  whole  being 
was  compact  of  sympathy  and  broadest  tolerance. 
~~No  need  to  write  of  Thomas  Binney  for  the  older 
generation  which  knew  and  revered  him,  and  re- 
joiced even  in  his  eccentricities  and  extravagances. 
Let  those  to  whom  he  is  but  a  name  refer  to  the 
description  given  by  Mark  Rutherford,  who  was  a 
devoted  admirer,  in  his  Revolution  in  Tanner's  Lane, 
where,  under  the  guise  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Brad- 
shaw  of  Pike  Street  Meeting  House,  is  pictured  the 
Thomas  Binney  of  George  Williams's  day.  "  He 
was,"  we  read,  "  tall  and  spare,  and  showed  his 
height  in  the  pulpit,  for  he  always  spoke  without 
a  note,  and  used  a  small  Bible,  which  he  always  held 
close  to  his  eyes.  He  had  a  commanding  figure, 
ruled  his  Church  like  a  despot,  had  a  crowded 
congregation  of  which  the  larger  portion  was  mascu- 
line, and  believed  in  predestination  and  the  final  per- 
severance of  the  saints.  Although  he  took  no  active 


38  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

part  in  politics,  he  was  a  Republican  through  and 
through,  and  never  hesitated  for  ;i  moment  in  those 
degenerate  days  to  say  what  he  thought  of  any 
scandal."  Thomas  Binney's  preaching  and  teaching 
brought  the  fervid  enthusiasm  of  Finney  into  touch 
with  the  realities  of  a  young  man's  life  in  London. 
Probably  no  man  of  his  time  developed  so  pre- 
eminently in  the  pulpit  the  tendency  of  the  thinking 
and  reading  of  the  age.  He  preached  the  reality  of 
the  battle  that  is  life,  and  as  he  pictured  it  the  fight 
was  glorious,  the  victory  sure.  He  had  the  greatest 
sympathy  with  the  aspirations  of  young  men,  with 
their  hopes,  their  intellectual  and  moral  efforts,  and, 
withal,  he  was  gifted  with  just  that  touch  of  sarcasm 
which  seems  to  be  an  essential  part  of  a  young  man's 
religious,  as  of  his  secular,  education.  The  story 
has  often  been  told,  for  instance,  of  the  way  in  which 
he  replied  to  certain  young  men  who  had  spoken 
with  undue  positiveness  at  a  Church  meeting,  by 
the  suggestion  that  they  should  make  a  study  of 
2  Sam.  x.  5,  "  Tarry  at  Jericho  until  your  beards 
be  grown,  and  then  return." 

There  was  in  his  preaching,  too,  a  fine  scorn  of 
the  tendency  to  belittle  trade,  which  was  prevalent 
in  those  days.  He  hated  hypocrisy,  and  said  so  in 
unmeasured  phrase.  Character  was  his  favourite 
text,  and  he  had  a  right  to  preach  from  such  a  text, 
for  he  was  a  man  every  inch  of  him  —  "a  king  of 
men,"  according  to  Archbishop  Tait.  Sir  George 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          39 

Williams  learnt  something  of  his  pride  of  business 
from  Thomas  Binney,  through  whose  discourses  rang 
a  constant  endeavour  to  maintain  the  nobility  of  the 
commercial  character.  There  was  nothing  petty  or 
sentimental  in  his  theology ;  he  taught  the  dignity  of 
manhood,  the  splendour  of  the  life  of  honest  work. 
"  How  the  devil  must  chuckle,"  he  once  said,  "  at 
his  success  when  he  gets  a  fellow  to  think  himself 
wonderful  because  he  can  dress  in  scarlet  or  blue, 
and  have  a  sword  by  his  side  and  a  feather  in  his 
hat;  and  when  he  says  to  him  (and  the  poor  fool 
believing  it),  'Your  hands  are  far  too  delicate  to 
be  soiled  by  the  counter  and  the  shop  ' ;  and  then 
whispers  to  him,  *  Keep  them  for  blood  —  human 
blood ! '  Fifty  to  one,  as  Buxton  says  of  Plaistow 
and  the  Pope,  fifty  to  one  on  the  great  unknown; 
on  Brown,  Smith,  and  Jones,  or  any  one  of  them, 
against  Caesar  and  Napoleon;  Wood  Street  against 
Waterloo  the  world  over." 

Perhaps  the  favourite  theme  of  Thomas  Binney, 
especially  during  the  later  years  of  his  ministry, 
when  George  Williams  came  under  the  spell  of  his 
vivid  eloquence,  undimmed  to  the  last,  was  sympathy, 
charity,  love  to  the  brethren.  "  Oh !  let  us  have  more 
faith  in  one  another,  though  we  sometimes  lean  on  a 
reed  that  will  pierce  our  hand,  and  perhaps  pierce 
our  heart;  still  do  not  let  us  give  up  faith  in  man 
-  in  Christian  man.  Do  not  let  us  give  up  a  hearty 
and  honest  faith  in  manhood,  truth,  sincerity,  right- 


40  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

eousness,  and  purity  of  motive  and  purpose.  Let 
us  live  with  one  another  as  if  we  really  believed  there 
was  such  a  thing  as  brotherhood;  and  do  not  let 
us  go  through  the  world  always  frowning  with  sus- 
picion, and  always  acting  towards  others  as  if  we 
were  afraid  of  what  they  would  turn  out.  I  think 
that  if  we  are  4  simple  concerning  evil,'  there  will  not 
only  be  guilelessness  in  ourselves,  but  there  will  be  an 
honest,  noble,  hearty,  candid,  confiding  faith  in  one 
another." 

It  was  through  the  influence  of  Thomas  Binney, 
too,  that  that  other  noble  merchant  and  philanthro- 
pist, Samuel  Morley,  was  moulded  to  his  broad  sym- 
pathies and  capacity  for  service.  It  was  no  wonder 
that  a  preacher  who  more  than  any  one  else  in  his 
generation  made  men  think  for  themselves,  take  large 
views  of  life,  attempt  great  and  generous  things, 
was  followed  to  his  last  resting-place  by  such  men 
as  Dean  Stanley,  Dr.  Stoughton,  the  Earl  of  Shaftes- 
bury,  Dr.  Moffatt,  Samuel  Morley,  and  George 
Williams. 

George  Williams  was  to  the  end  strict,  stern,  posi- 
tive in  his  religious  beliefs.  He  belonged  to  the  old 
Evangelical  school  of  thought,  and  he  held  to  its 
creed  with  intensity  and  intense  sincerity.  But  his 
heart  was  so  great,  his  charity  so  broad,  that  the 
austerity  of  his  doctrine  was  covered  by  the  gracious 
mantle  of  kindness  and  sympathy.  Sympathy  could 
never  have  produced  the  Young  Men's  Christian 


THE  MOTHER  OF  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 


THE    SPIRITUAL    HOMELAND          41 

Association,  Calvinism  could  never  have  produced  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  But  these  two, 
£eace  and  thejjword,  love_of  the  sinner  and  hatred 
of  the  sin,  were  welded  and  fused  in  the  steadfast 
and  loving  heart  of  George  Williams,  who  clung 
with  fierce  tenacity  to  the  rigorous  doctrines  of  the 
guilt  of  man  and  the  wrath  of  God,  but  was  so  full 
of  pity  that  under  most  bitter  provocation  he  would 
think  no  evil,  and  was  ever  seeking  for  the  face  of 
goodness  behind  the  mask  of  sin. 

His  was  the  ardour  and  passion  of  Charles  Finney, 
but  Thomas  Binney  taught  him  to  draw  men  to 
Christ  with  cords  of  love. 

~~- 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE 
COUNTRY 


CHAPTER  III 

A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY 

WHEN,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  George  Wil- 
liams's  apprenticeship  at  Bridgwater  came 
to  an  end,  he  was  for  a  time  undecided  as  to  his 
future  plans.  His  brother  Fred,  who  was  one  of 
the  first  to  leave  the  farm,  had  been  for  a  short 
time  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers, 
a  firm  of  retail  drapers  on  Ludgate  Hill,  London. 
During  his  brother  George's  apprenticeship  Fred 
Wtlliams  returned  to  Somersetshire  and  started  for 
himself  as  a  draper  in  North  Petherton,  a  small 
village  a  few  miles  distant  from  Bridgwater.  To 
him  George  Williams  repaired  after  leaving  Mr. 
Holmes's  establishment,  and  for  about  six  months 
he  helped  in  his  brother's  shop,  and  was  there 
"  blessed  to  my  brother's  wife,  who  was  a  Unitarian 
and  whose  eyes  were  opened  so  that  she  owned  Christ 
as  her  Saviour,"  while  in  his  spare  time  he  was  much 
occupied  with  Sunday  School  work  in  the  neighbour- 
ing villages.  When  Fred  Williams  next  visited 
London,  in  October,  1841,  to  buy  the  new  season's 
goods,  he  took  George  with  him  and  introduced  him 


46  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

to  Mr.  Hitchcock.  At  first  the  head  of  the  London 
establishment  declared  that  he  could  not  find  an  open- 
ing for  him.  "  No,"  he  said  in  his  abrupt  way  —  and 
the  boy's  face  fell  —  "I  've  no  place  for  him.  He  's 
too  small."  The  brother  pleaded  that,  though  there 
might  be  little  of  him,  it  was  very  good,  and  after 
some  discussion  Mr.  Hitchcock  went  so  far  as  to 
promise  that  if  they  would  come  again  next  morn- 
ing he  would  see  what  he  could  do.  "  So,"  writes 
George  Williams,  "  in  fear  and  trembling  I  went 
again,  and  then  Mr.  Hitchcock  said,  '  Well,  you  seem 
a  healthy  young  fellow!  I  will  give  you  a  trial.' 
I  entered  the  establishment  and  began  work  behind 
the  counter,  where  I  remained  a  few  years,  until  one 
day  a  buyer  was  seen  cutting  off  a  piece  of  silk  and 
hiding  it  in  his  drawer.  Mr.  Hitchcock  found  this 
out  and  dismissed  him,  and  I  was  put  in  his  place. 
I  succeeded  so  well,"  he  adds,  "  that  in  a  few  years' 
time  I  had  increased  the  turnover  more  than  £30,000 
a  year." 

Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers,  when  George  Wil- 
liams entered  their  employ  at  a  salary  of  £40  a 
year,  did  not  confine  themselves  entirely  to  the  retail 
trade,  although  this  was  then  the  principal  part  of 
their  business.  Mr.  Hitchcock  was  himself  a  Devon- 
shire man,  and  had  gone  through  much  the  same 
routine  of  training  as  George  Williams.  He  had 
been  apprenticed  to  a  draper  in  Exeter,  and,  after 
serving  for  some  time  in  various  London  establish- 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  47 

ments,  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Rogers  in 
St.  Paul's  Churchyard,  then,  as  now,  a  leading  mart 
for  drapery  goods  and  a  favourite  shopping  resort 
for  ladies.  Mr.  Rogers  was  compelled  at  an  early 
age  to  retire  from  active  control  in  the  business, 
but  under  Mr.  Hitchcock's  guidance  the  firm  soon 
acquired  a  reputation  for  energy  and  enterprise,  and 
became  one  of  the  leading  retail  houses  in  the  City. 
So  quick  was  the  growth  of  the  business  that  ten 
years  after  it  had  been  established  it  was  found 
necessary  to  employ  a  staff  of  about  140  assistants 
drawn  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Milliners  and 
dressmakers  and  country  drapers,  attracted  by  the 
opportunity  of  a  large  selection  of  varied  goods  and 
by  the  convenience  of  lengths  cut  to  suit  their  re- 
quirements at  a  low  trade  price,  often  visited  the 
business,  and  in  this  manner  a  semi-wholesale  trade 
of  considerable  magnitude  was  done,  Messrs.  Hitch- 
cock &  Rogers  making  a  specialty  of  silk  goods  and 
shawls.  Their  windows  were  among  the  most  noted 
in  London  at  that  time,  and  the  business  was  of 
the  best  class  and  without  competition  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

The  hours  were  then  from  seven  to  nine  in  the 
summer  months  and  from  seven  to  eight  in  winter, 
shorter  hours  than  in  many  other  houses.  Mr. 
Hitchcock  informed  all  newcomers  that  they  were 
expected  to  attend  church,  but  it  was  said  that  only 
a  single  pew  was  provided  for  the  140  assistants! 


48  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Needless  to  add  that  the  custom  was  more  honoured 
in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance.  Whenever  a 
new  hand  was  engaged  he  had  to  sign  a  book  agree- 
ing to  take  his  discharge  at  a  moment's  notice  if 
required.  All  young  men  in  the  establishment  wore 
black  broadcloth  coats,  and  a  white  tie  was  essential, 
while  a  moustache,  if  it  was  not,  as  in  most  similar 
establishments,  a  sin  "  beyond  the  imagination  of 
the  wildest  youngster,"  was  at  least  so  uncommon 
that  the  sole  assistant  allowed  the  privilege  was  quite 
noted  throughout  the  City  as  "  Hitchcock's  French- 
man." In  those  days  a  red  tie  or  a  tweed  coat 
would  have  ruined  the  credit  of  any  drapery  house. 
Although  Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers's  establish- 
ment was  among  the  most  progressive  in  London, 
one  who  entered  the  house  about  the  same  time  as 
George  Williams  writes  that  there  were  two  or  three 
beds  even  in  the  smallest  rooms,  each  bed  occupied 
by  two  assistants.  "  On  the  last  stroke  of  eleven 
bang  went  the  outer  door,  and  any  on  the  wrong  side 
of  it  were  reported  next  morning.  Many  were  the 
amusing  scenes  caused  by  the  young  fellows  scurry- 
ing across  the  Yard  to  get  in  before  the  fated  stroke, 
though  the  prolonged  chiming  and  deliberate  strik- 
ing of  the  Cathedral  clock  gave  timely  warning  to 
those  in  the  neighbourHood.  Soon  after  closing 
time,  10.30  for  the  apprentices  and  11  o'clock  for 
the  other  assistants,  the  shopwalker  would  come  round 
to  see  that  lights  were  out,  and  then,  of  course,  when 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  49 

his  back  was  turned,  they  were  soon  lit  again,  and 
we  began  to  spend  the  evening."  Of  course,  there 
was  the  inevitable  public-house  adjoining  the  shop 
—  the  famous  "  Goose  and  Gridiron  "  —  which  was 
used  as  an  office  by  Wren  when  rebuilding  the  Ca- 
thedral, and  which  has  now  been  absorbed  in  the 
establishment  of  Hitchcock,  Williams,  &  Co.  This 
place  was,  writes  my  informant,  "  a  sad  thorn  in  the 
side  of  Hitchcock  &  Rogers,  for  the  young  fellows, 
under  pretence  of  going  to  see  if  the  windows  were 
properly  dressed,  would  slip  in  for  a  drink.  The 
woollen  cloth  shop  at  the  Paternoster  Row  end  of 
the  building  had  rather  a  bad  name  in  this  respect. 
One  or  two  bedrooms  having  windows  overlooking 
the  *  Goose  and  Gridiron  '  were  occupied  by  young 
men  who  had  an  understanding  with  the  landlord, 
so  that  when  he  heard  a  whistle  he  was  to  be  on  the 
qui  vive,  and  the  coast  being  clear,  a  Wellington 
boot  was  lowered  at  the  end  of  a  string,  and  bottles 
of  beer  having  been  placed  in  it,  another  whistle  was 
the  signal  to  heave  it  up  again." 

There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  at  the  time  this 
young  man  from  the  country  arrived  in  London 
he  had  formed  any  very  definite  or  exalted  ambi- 
tions. He  was  not  one  of  those  who,  from  the  start, 
map  out  a  brilliant  future  for  themselves,  who  fix 
the  goal  of  their  ultimate  ambition  and  work  steadily 
towards  it  —  and  sometimes  reach  it.  Although 

George  Williams  has  been  likened  by  some  to  Dick 

4 


50  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Whittington,  herein  at  least  there  was  nothing  in 
common  between  them.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  few 
years  later,  while  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  Hitch- 
cock &  Rogers,  he  gave  serious  consideration  to  the 
question  of  returning  to  Bridgwater  and  purchasing 
Mr.  Holmes's  business,  then  in  the  market,  and  it 
was  due  to  the  very  strenuously  worded  advice  of 
some  of  his  older  Bridgwater  friends  that  he  aban- 
doned the  idea  of  settling  down  as  a  country  draper. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  determining  factor 
in  his  decision  to  enter  London  was  not  so  much  a 
desire  to  better  his  position  as  a  deep  conviction  that 
in  the  City  he  would  find  larger  opportunity,  a  wider 
field,  of  work  for  Christ. 

Within  a  few  months  of  his  conversion  he  had 
changed  the  whole  aspect  of  the  Bridgwater  shop. 
It  was  said  in  after  years  that  when  he  joined  Messrs. 
Hitchcock  &  Rogers  it  was  almost  impossible  for  a 
young  man  in  the  house  to  be  a  Christian,  and  that, 
three  years  afterwards,  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
be  anything  else.  This  was  certainly  the  case  in 
Bridgwater,  for  in  a  few  months  the  prayer  meeting 
and  the  Bible  class  had  become  almost  a  part  of  the 
business  routine.  The  passion  of  the  pioneer  was 
consuming  him.  He  yearned  for  greater  and  grander 
conquests.  And  the  call  came  to  him  from  London. 
He  had  prayed  for  wider  opportunities,  for  more 
arduous  work  for  his  Master,  and  the  Master  opened 
the  way  to  the  city  of  cities.  In  the  fulness  of 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  51 

years  all  things  —  wealth,  honour,  and  the  rich 
pleasures  of  success  —  were  added,  but  this  young 
man  from  the  country  entered  London  seeking  first 
the  Kingdom  of  God. 

The  London  that  George  Williams  came  to  was 
a  hard  place  for  a  Christian  young  man.  London 
will  always  typify  all  that  is  fiercest  and  most  glori- 
ous in  life's  battle.  It  will  ever  be  the  place  of  heroes 
and  of  hideous  failure,  where  everything  that  is  good 
and  evil  in  man  is  magnified.  There  is  little  enough 
of  heaven  in  the  great  City  to-day ;  there  is,  at  least, 
less  of  hell  than  there  was  sixty  years  ago.  Sir 
George  Williams  was  right  when  he  said,  speaking 
of  his  early  experiences  in  the  City  warehouse,  that 
the  first  twenty-four  hours  of  a  young  man's  life  in 
London  usually  settled  his  eternity  in  heaven  or  hell. 
In  those  days  a  young  man  was  either  burning  hot 
or  ice-cold,  was  utterly  and  completely  possessed  of 
God  or  just  as  completely  given  over  to  the  powers 
of  darkness.  There  was  no  middle  road  between  the 
saint  and  the  sinner.  In  the  strictest  sense  that  is 
ever  so,  but  we  of  this  generation  have  many  resting- 
places  on  our  Hills  of  Difficulty,  many  arbours  set 
up  in  recent  years  by  good  men  at  the  order  of  the 
Lord  of  the  Hill.  I  know  well  that  these  may  be, 
for  some,  places  of  slothful  ease,  that  not  a  few 
linger  now  on  the  hill  and  fail  to  reach  the  highest 
heights.  But  it  is  surely  better  to  have  climbed 
half-way  than  never  to  have  climbed  at  all.  This  is 


52  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

no  place  for  a  defence  of  that  vast  host  of  common- 
place lives  which  some,  not  knowing  the  heart,  would 
judge  as  Laodicean.  I  would  rather  bless  the  means, 
sacred  and  secular,  which  have  made  it  possible  for 
a  man  to  live  a  clean  and  honest  life  before  God 
without  setting  himself  apart  from  his  fellows.  It 
is  well  enough  to  say  that  persecution  and  the  brutal 
onslaughts  of  unrighteousness  made  heroes  in  the 
days  that  are  past.  That  is  true.  They  make 
heroes  still.  But  it  is  well  to  remember  that  in  ten 
thousand  cases  they  damned  those  who  had  not  in 
them  the  stuff  of  martyrs  and  saints.  I  would  not 
make  little  of  the  strength  that  comes  from  resisted 
temptation,  but  we  are  none  the  less  Christian  be- 
cause we  pray  to  be  led  in  a  smooth  path  rather  than 
across  the  rock-strewn  hills. 

Such  paths  run  the  length  and  breadth  of  London 
to-day.  Sixty  years  ago  you  would  have  had  to 
search  diligently  to  discover  a  single  one. 

It  is  difficult  to  realise  that  little  more  than  half 
a  century  separates  us  from  the  London  which  greeted 
the  apprentice  from  Bridgwater.  Most  of  the  con- 
veniences and  luxuries  of  present-day  life,  to  us  the 
obvious  necessities  of  existence,  were  then  either  un- 
known or  in  a  vague  experimental  state.  In  many 
respects  we  are  further  removed  to-day  from  the 
early  Victorian  age  than  that  age  was  from  the  time 
of  the  Norman  Conquest.  Roughly  speaking,  the 
early  nineteenth  century  was  only  the  better  of  the 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  53 

eleventh  to  the  extent  of  printing  and  gunpowder. 
The  throb  of  steam  was  just  beginning  to  shake 
the  country,  the  hand  loom  in  the  worker's  cottage 
was  giving  way  to  the  power  loom  in  the  factory, 
the  flail  to  the  threshing-machine,  the  sewing-machine 
was  just  emerging  from  the  scientific  toy  stage  to 
the  sphere  of  practical  use,  and  it  was  not,  as  Sir 
Walter  Besant  has  pointed  out,  until  the  year  1837 
that  the  eighteenth  century  truly  came  to  an  end. 

The  light  of  the  greatest  revolution  the  world  has 
ever  seen,  the  morning  of  our  modern  renaissance, 
was  breaking.  A  great  darkness  still  shrouded 
London,  and  the  life  of  the  City  shop  assistant  was 
still  little  removed  from  that  of  a  slave. 

To-day  nearly  every  young  man  has  attained  his 
ideal  of  a  forty-eight-hour  week,  and  although  longer 
hours  prevail  in  suburban  establishments,  it  will  be 
generally  admitted  that  the  early-closing  movement 
has  brought  about  a  fairly  satisfactory  and  equi- 
table state  of  affairs.  In  the  early  forties  things 
were  indeed  different.  The  living-in  system  was  con- 
ducted on  lines  that  contemptuously  ignored  the  moral 
and  physical  welfare  of  young  men.  Many  striking 
and  terrible  pictures  of  these  days  are  given  in  the 
reports  and  other  publications  of  the  Metropolitan 
Early-Closing  Association,  established  the  year 
George  Williams  came  to  London  under  the  title  of 
"  The  Metropolitan  Drapers'  Association."  This 
Association  offered  a  prize  of  twenty  guineas  for 


54  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

"  the  best  practical  essay  on  the  evils  of  the  present 
protracted  hours  of  trade  generally,  but  more  es- 
pecially as  they  affect  the  moral,  physical,  and  in- 
tellectual condition  of  the  drapers  of  the  Metropolis." 
The  prize  essay,  published  in  the  following  year, 
was  the  work  of  one  who  wrote  from  his  own  bitter 
experience,  and  affords  a  vivid  picture  of  life  as 
George  Williams  found  it  when  he  reached  London. 
The  hours  varied  from  six,  seven,  and  eight  in  the 
morning  to  nine,  ten,  and  even  twelve  at  night.  Even 
in  Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers's  the  first  batch  of 
assistants  had  to  be  at  work  at  seven  o'clock  to  dust 
the  warehouse.  These  were  known  as  the  Literary 
Squad,  a  name  taken  from  a  comic  song,  "  The  Lit- 
erary Dustman,"  then  greatly  in  vogue.  The  shop 
would  be  closed  at  from  eight  to  nine  p.  M.  in  win- 
ter and  from  nine  to  ten  P.  M.  in  summer,  but  on  busy 
days,  and  during  nearly  the  whole  of  the  spring  and 
summer  seasons,  the  young  men  were  seldom  at  liberty 
to  leave  until  two  or  three  hours  after  closing  time, 
for  much  of  the  work  now  done  by  porters  fell  to 
the  lot  of  the  junior  assistants,  who  had  to  put  every 
article  —  from  a  piece  of  silk  to  a  paper  of  pins  — 
into  its  appointed  place,  and  clean  out  the  premises 
in  readiness  for  the  morrow.  During  the  busiest  part 
of  the  year  it  was  a  common  thing  for  these  young 
men  to  be  penned  in  the  unhealthy  atmosphere  of  the 
shop  from  six  or  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  until 
ten  or  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  "  This,"  says  the 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  55 

writer,  "  presents  the  business  of  the  day  in  its  most 
favourable  aspect."  There  were  many  shops  in 
which  the  young  men  were  employed  for  a  period 
of  seventeen  hours  out  of  twenty-four.  On  Satur- 
day, as  if  in  mockery  of  preparation  for  the  Sab- 
bath, the  closing  hours  were  in  all  cases  later,  and 
the  assistants  were  often  unable  to  retire  to  rest 
until  one  or  two  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning. 

In  few  houses  of  business  was  there  any  sitting- 
room  other  than  the  dining-room,  which  was  often 
a  basement  kitchen,  while  the  sleeping  apartments 
were  small  and  badly  ventilated. 

The  harmful  effect  upon  health  and  morals  of 
such  long  confinement,  of  the  foul  air  and  lack  of 
exercise,  of  hurried  meals  —  the  average  time  spent 
at  three  meals,  breakfast,  dinner,  and  tea,  was  often 
not  more  than  half  an  hour  l  —  are  so  obvious  that 
we  need  not  follow  the  writer  in  his  attempt  to  make 
a  case  in  favour  of  a  shorter  working  day.  One  of 

1  This  almost  incredible  statement  is  vouched  for  by  the  writer 
of  the  '*  Prize  Essay  on  the  Evils  which  are  produced  by  Late 
Hours  of  Business  "  (London  :  James  Nisbet  &  Co. ,  1843).  He 
writes  :  "  To  sit  down  (in  the  shop)  for  any  period,  however  short, 
is  universally  forbidden.  Be  it  also  observed  that  while  the  me- 
chanic or  day  labourer  has  half  an  hour  allowed  him  for  break- 
fast, and  an  hour  for  dinner,  out  of  his  twelve  hours  of  labour,  the 
assistant  draper  has  no  fixed  time  for  either.  Five  or  ten  minutes 
is  the  usual  time  spent  at  breakfast  or  tea  ;  and  dinner  is  hurriedly 
snatched  as  it  can  be  during  some  momentary  intermission  of 
business.  We  may  safely  assert  that  in  nineteen  shops  out  of 
twenty  the  average  time  spent  at  the  three  meals — breakfast, 
dinner,  and  tea — is  not  more  than  half  an  hour." 


56  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  evil  results  of  this  tyranny  was  that  the  men 
were,  of  necessity,  withdrawn  from  most  opportuni- 
ties of  reading  and  study,  and  the  lack  of  popular 
newspapers  deprived  them  of  any  intelligent  par- 
ticipation in  the  movements  of  the  day.  Even  when 
the  tone  of  the  establishment  was  not  actively  immoral, 
life  was  lived  on  a  low,  dull  plane.  Business,  supper, 
a  walk,  and  then  to  bed  —  that  was  the  daily  round. 
Of  these  young  men  it  might  truly  have  been  said 
that  no  man  cared  for  their  souls.  And  when  George 
Williams  came  to  London  there  were  at  least  150,000 
such  assistants  in  the  City  of  London.  The  essay 
contains  the  significant  statement  that  in  a  prominent 
Mechanics'  Institute  there  was  only  one  linen-draper 
out  of  nearly  seven  hundred  members.  Worse  still, 
this  system  was  a  direct  incentive  to  vice.  Young  men 
engaged  in  shops  do  not  differ  from  their  fellows 
in  their  craving  for  some  kind  of  recreation  and 
amusement.  Their  late  hours  prevented  them  from 
the  enjoyment  of  what  little  rational  and  wholesome 
recreation  was  available  at  that  time  in  London,  with 
the  natural  result  that  the  desire  for  something 
which  would  take  them,  even  for  a  few  moments,  out 
of  themselves  and  away  from  the  restrictions  and 
sordid  grind  of  their  work,  found  gratification  in 
the  lowest  form  of  sensual  enjoyment.  When  at  last 
they  were  free,  they  turned,  by  an  irresistible  impulse, 
to  the  tavern,  to  strong  drink,  to  the  grossest  forms 
of  immorality.  Surely,  says  the  author  of  this  essay, 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  57 

the  ruin  of  their  souls  was  chargeable,  in  no  slight 
degree,  to  that  system  which  furnished  at  once  temp- 
tation and  excuse. 

This  tale  of  long  hours  does  not,  unfortunately, 
exhaust  the  evils  peculiar  to  the  shop  life  of  the 
period.  The  new  reign  had  brought  with  it  a  great 
revival  of  trade.  As  a  result  new  hands  were  con- 
stantly being  taken  on,  and  little  or  no  care  was  given 
to  the  selection  of  the  men  who  offered  themselves, 
for  the  employer  always  guarded  himself  by  the 
stipulation  that  any  one  might  be  dismissed  literally 
at  a  moment's  notice.  Thus  these  houses  of  business 
generally  contained  a  very  mixed  set  of  men.  Those 
of  pure  mind  and  high  ideals  were  forced  to  associate 
in  closest  intimacy  with  the  vicious  and  depraved. 
In  this  way  every  possible  aid  was  given  to  the  cor- 
ruption of  good  manners  by  evil  communications. 
In  the  conduct  of  business  the  code  of  commercial 
morality  was  degraded  in  the  extreme.  It  was  a 
time  when  all  scruples  of  truth  and  honesty  were 
ignored  when  a  sale  was  to  be  effected,  when  a  pre- 
mium was  set  upon  misrepresentation,  when  intem- 
perance and  dissolute  living  were  winked  at  in  the 
case  of  a  skilful  salesman,  when  in  one  large  West 
End  house  the  example  of  a  man,  notorious  for  the 
unblushing  lies  he  told  and  for  the  unmerciful  way 
in  which  he  fleeced  customers,  was  held  up  for  imi- 
tation by  the  junior  hands.  "  There  was,"  wrote  one 
who  was  at  that  time  employed  in  St.  Paul's  Church- 


58  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

yard  and  who  afterwards  entered  the  ministry,  "  no 
class  more  degraded  and  dissolute,  none  who  were 
sunk  deeper  in  ungodliness  and  dissipation  than  the 
shopmen  of  London."  The  subject  does  not  bear 
enlarging  upon.  The  effect  upon  a  boy  fresh  from 
the  country  of  being  compelled  to  live  and  work,  to 
share  a  bedroom,  and  in  many  cases  the  bed  itself, 
with  veterans  in  vice  —  men  so  sunk  in  debauchery 
that  they  took  a  hellish  delight  in  contaminating 
and  defiling  all  around  them  —  these  things  are  best 
left  to.  the  imagination. 

Here,  surely,  was  a  condition  of  life  which  might 
drive  the  best  meaning  of  young  men,  through  sheer 
desperation,  into  grossness  and  depravity.  With 
no  time  for  wholesome  intellectual  or  physical  recrea- 
tion, even  were  such  facilities  available,  no  place  to 
spend  a  quiet  hour  other  than  a  reeking  dining- 
room  or  the  barest  of  bedrooms,  it  is  little  wonder 
that  they  were  driven  out  into  the  street,  to  seek  there 
such  ignoble  joys  and  pleasures  as  might  be  found. 
And  there,  you  may  be  sure,  the  pleasures  were  in- 
deed ignoble  enough.  Nowadays,  if  a  young  man 
determines  to  go  to  the  devil,  he  must  first  deliberately, 
and  of  free  choice,  reject  a  thousand  and  one  oppor- 
tunities of  good.  But  in  the  early  part  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  he  had  to  scheme  and  hunt  for  such 
opportunities,  and  all  round  him  men  were  playing 
fast  and  loose  with  the  little  time  they  had  not  sold 
to  their  employers. 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  59 

The  young  fellow  of  the  period,  in  search  of  a 
moment's  freedom  from  the  cares  and  trammels  of 
business,  found  his  way,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  the 
tavern  with  its  sing-song  and  free-and-easy.  Here 
heavy  drinking  was  the  rule  —  heavy  in  quality  and 
quantity.  Gambling  was  rampant  everywhere.  The 
place  reeked  with  tobacco  smoke,  the  songs  and 
conversation  were  coarse  even  beyond  the  bounds  of 
obscenity.  In  the  summer  Highbury  Barn  and  Cre- 
morne  Gardens,  pleasure  grounds  of  very  doubtful 
reputation  —  "  for  one  man  that  is  ruined  in  a  gin- 
shop  there  are  twenty  that  are  ruined  at  Cremorne  " 
—  were  sometimes  patronised  by  those  fortunate 
individuals  who  could  escape  for  a  few  hours.  Tavern 
life  was  then  near  its  end,  and  the  last  days  of  a 
popular  institution  are  rarely  its  most  attractive. 
The  tavern,  as  Dr.  Johnson  knew  it,  was  little 
changed  in  outward  appearance,  but  for  intellect 
and  wit  had  been  substituted  the  inane  vulgarity  of 
the  so-called  comic  song,  roared  out  in  chorus  by 
young  and  old  to  the  accompaniment  of  clattering 
pewter  and  glass.  The  public-houses,  which  pros- 
pered so  greatly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  every  large 
warehouse,  were  not  unlike  the  supper-rooms  patro- 
nised by  the  young  bloods  of  the  period,  differing  only 
in  degree  of  freedom  and  ease.  Unfortunately  few 
of  them  could  boast  of  even  an  occasional  visit  from 
a  Colonel  Newcome.  It  was  seldom  that  any  voice 
was  raised  in  protest,  seldom  that  the  "  harmony  " 


60  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

was  disturbed  by  such  an  outburst  as  was  called  forth 
from  that  gallant  gentleman  by  a  similar  entertain- 
ment at  the  "  Cave."  "  Does  any  man  say  '  Go  on  ' 
to  such  disgusting  ribaldry  as  this?  For  my  part 
I  am  not  sorry  that  my  son  should  see  for  once  in 
his  life  to  what  shame  and  degradation  and  dishon- 
our drunkenness  and  whisky  may  bring  a  man."  It 
was  to  such  places  that  the  young  men  of  the  City 
had  to  turn  to  escape  the  counter  and  the  dormitory. 

It  was  in  surroundings  such  as  these,  among  men 
such  as  these,  that  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation saw  the  light.  And  not  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  only,  for  while  London  life 
in  the  early  forties  was,  for  the  most  part,  low  in 
standard,  while  morals  were  coarse  and  appetite  un- 
restrained, there  were  many  who  had  already  seen  and 
hailed  the  star  of  the  morning,  many  who  had  watched 
the  faint  streaks  of  light  on  the  horizon,  the  radiance 
on  the  distant  hills,  and  rejoiced  in  the  certainty 
that  midnight  was  passed.  These  prophets  of  the 
days  of  the  Son  of  Man  were  as  yet  scattered  and 
lonely,  but  as  the  years  passed  they  caught  sight  of 
many  "  lights  at  other  windows,"  and  took  courage 
and  worked  even  more  strenuously  for  the  coming 
of  righteousness  and  justice.  It  was,  as  we  have 
said,  a  period  of  strange  contrasts.  A  man's  con- 
versation was  devout  or  filthy,  his  recreation  the 
service  of  Christ  or  the  amusement  of  Satan.  It 
was  at  once  a  time  of  sloth  and  fiery  energy,  of 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  61 

ignoble  ideals  and  loftiest  ambitions.  From  the  point 
of  view  of  material  success  it  was  a  time  full  of  good 
hope,  for  to  those  who  won  through  its  temptations 
the  business  life  of  those  days  was  a  splendid  train- 
ing, while  the  chances  of  promotion  were  much  greater 
than  they  are  to-day.  There  was  a  mighty  uplift 
in  British  trade,  and  young  men  of  quickness  and 
ability  were  wanted  everywhere.  Determination, 
hard  work,  integrity,  and  energy  reaped  an  imme- 
diate and  rich  reward.  It  was  the  day  in  which  the 
boy  without  the  proverbial  sixpence  made  a  fortune 
in  a  few  years.  It  was  a  day  of  days  for  the  young 
man  who  could  see  visions,  who  dared  to  fight  for 
the  realisation  of  his  dreams.  And  some  were  already 
dreaming  them  true. 

When  George  Williams  arrived  at  Messrs.  Hitch- 
cock &  Rogers's,  Charles  Kingsley  was  planning  with 
all  the  vehemence  of  his  impetuous  nature  a  hundred 
and  one  schemes  for  the  improvement  of  the  material 
and  moral  conditions  of  the  working  classes.  He 
had  just  published  Yeast,  wherein  he  had  shown 
"  what  some  at  least  of  the  young  men  in  these  days 
are  really  thinking  and  feeling."  Charles  Kingsley 
was  among  those  who  heard  with  awe  and  rejoicing 
a  clashing  among  the  dry  bones.  "  Look  around 
you,"  said  Bamakill  to  Lancelot  as  they  stood  within 
a  few  yards  of  the  place  where  George  Williams  was 
working,  "  and  see  what  is  the  characteristic  of  your 
country,  your  generation,  at  this  moment.  What 


62  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

a  yearning,  what  an  expectation  amid  infinite  false- 
hoods and  confusions,  of  some  nobler,  more  chival- 
rous, more  godlike  state!  .  .  .  What  a  chaos  of 
noble  materials  is  here  —  all  confused,  it  is  true, 
polarised,  jarring,  and  chaotic;  here  bigotry,  there 
self-will,  superstition,  sheer  atheism  often,  but  only 
waiting  for  the  one  inspiring  Spirit  to  organise  and 
unite  and  consecrate  this  chaos  into  the  noblest  polity 
the  world  ever  saw  realised." 

Carlyle  was  issuing  Past  and  Present  —  Carlyle 
was  coming  to  his  own,  forcing  men  to  think  deep 
thoughts,  to  ask  deep  questions,  to  "  begin  to  try." 
Ruskin  was  at  work  on  Modern  Painters;  Tennyson 
and  Dickens,  in  their  several  ways,  were  struggling 
to  lighten  the  darkness ;  Lord  Ashley  was  waging  his 
magnificent  warfare  against  oppression,  tyranny, 
and  injustice.  On  all  sides  voices  were  calling  young 
men  to  come  out  from  the  world  of  cant  and  lies,  to 
come  out  and  dare. 

In  the  religious  world  the  Anglican  revival  was  be- 
ginning, the  Oxford  movement  was  at  the  height  of 
its  power,  Maurice  was  in  the  midst  of  his  Christian 
Socialism  campaign,  Newman  was  making  his  great 
decision,  and  Chalmers  was  daring  all  for  liberty. 

Revolution,  violent  and  horrible ;  revolution,  peace- 
ful, sometimes  silent,  but  no  less  effective,  —  revolu- 
tion was  in  the  air.  In  politics,  in  arts,  in  religion, 
it  was  a  time  of  upheaval.  But  the  mass  of  the 
people  still  slept. 


A  YOUNG  MAN  FROM  THE  COUNTRY  63 

George  Williams  was  not,  it  may  be,  consciously 
stirred  by  the  mighty  activities  of  the  day,  although 
Thomas  Binney,  that  veteran  watchman  on  the  tow- 
ers, was  ever  proclaiming  the  dawn  and  teaching 
young  men  to  read  the  signs  of  the  times.  George 
Williams  was  of  those  whom  poets  despise  but  God 
honours,  who  see  things  to  do,  see  them  and  do  them. 
This  young  man  was  so  absorbed  in  business,  not 
only,  or  chiefly,  for  his  own  gain,  but  in  business  for 
his  Master,  that  he  seldom  spared  a  moment  for  a 
sight  of  the  world's  horizon.  Under  his  very  hands 
there  was  so  much  to  be  done,  so  little  time  to  do  it. 
In  any  age  his  work  would  have  prospered;  but  it 
was,  without  doubt,  the  splendid  hope,  the  eager  ex- 
pectation of  those  days  that  secured  for  it  such 
quick  and  enthusiastic  recognition.  Everywhere  men 
were  waiting  for  a  leader.  Everywhere  men  were 
launching  out  on  glorious  ventures  of  faith.  The 
air  was  tingling  with  enterprise  and  progress. 

To  the  sound  of  turmoil  and  strife,  of  revolutions, 
riots,  and  bitter  controversies,  Britain  was  fighting 
its  way  to  religious  and  social  liberty. 

"And  lo,  in  the  East !     Will  the  East  unveil  ? 
The  East  is  unveiled,  the  East  hath  confessed 
A  flush  ;  't  is  dead  ;  't  is  alive  ;  't  is  dead,  ere  the  West 
Was  aware  of  it :  nay,  't  is  abiding,  't  is  un withdrawn ; 
Have  a  care,  sweet  Heaven  !     'T  is  dawn." 

It  was  the  day  of  the  Young  Man. 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN 

IN  order  to  appraise  and  understand  a  man's  work 
you  must  know  something  not  only  of  his  environ- 
ment but  of  his  personality,  of  that  inner  life  through 
which  and  in  which  the  work  first  has  its  being.  This 
young  man  from  the  country  was  chosen  of  God  to 
start  an  unique  and  wonderful  movement  in  the  world. 
Three  years  after  his  arrival  in  the  City  the  call 
came.  He  was  ready.  Some  attempt  must  be  made 
to  picture  the  man  as  he  was  during  these  years  of 
preparation ;  and  this  is  not  easily  accomplished, 
especially  when  one  is  writing  of  days  beyond 
recall  of  all  but  the  few.  In  such  circumstances  it 
is  safest  to  rely  upon  letters  and  private  documents 
of  various  kinds  which  reveal  the  hidden  things  of 
the  soul. 

Unfortunately  Sir  George  Williams  left  little  ma- 
terial of  this  kind.  During  the  latter  years  of  his 
life  he  was  often  urged  to  put  on  record  his  reminis- 
cences of  things  done  and  seen,  but  his  invariable 
reply  was  that  his  life  had  been  so  uneventful  that 
he  had  nothing  to  give  to  the  world.  Moreover, 


68  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

contrary  to  the  accepted  idea  of  the  garrulity  of  old 
age,  he  was  a  man  who  seldom  spoke  of  the  past, 
seldom  indulged  in  reviews  of  the  years  gone  by  — 
that  favourite  pastime  of  life's  evening.  Up  to  the 
last  he  lived  in  the  future,  for  the  future.  It  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that  he  died  a  young  man. 

Thus  it  is  that  I  have  before  me  but  few  papers 
of  a  personal  nature.  In  his  later  years  he  kept 
a  small  pocket  diary,  but  this  contains  only  notes 
as  to  the  time  and  place  of  the  innumerable  meetings 
at  which  he  presided  or  in  which  he  took  some  prom- 
inent part.  To  those  who  knew  the  man  the  repro- 
duction of  this  diary  of  his  daily  engagements  would 
mean  much.  It  is  the  eloquent  record  of  work  that 
was  never  finished,  of  the  daily  life  of  one  who,  al- 
though often  tired,  was  ever  ready  to  serve  the  least 
of  his  brethren  —  His  brethren.  But  it  contains  no 
revelation  of  the  man's  thoughts,  of  his  innermost 
life.  That  must  be  gleaned  for  the  most  part 
from  the  acts  of  a  nineteenth-century  apostle. 

There  exist,  however,  three  small  books  in  his  hand- 
writing which  are  very  precious.  One  is  a  manu- 
script volume  of  the  sermons  he  heard  during  his 
early  years  in  London.  It  is  dated  "  January,  1841," 
the  year  of  his  arrival  at  the  drapery  establishment 
of  Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers.  On  the  fly-leaf  he 
has  written:  "February  5th,  1838  —  Joined  the 
Church  at  Bridgwater,  and  since  that  period  proved 
an  unworthy  member.  January  30th,  1839.  Signed 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  69 

the  teetotal  pledge  after  hearing  a  convincing  lecture 
from  G.  Pilkington,  at  the  Friends'  Meeting  House, 
Bridgwater."  I  have  already  written  of  the  ser- 
vices which  he  attended  during  these  early  years  in 
the  City,  and  of  the  men  who  did  much  to  mould  his 
religious  beliefs.  These  transcriptions  of  sermons 
are  interesting  only  as  pointing  to  the  preachers 
he  most  appreciated,  and  also  because  they  contain, 
at  the  end  of  each  sermon,  a  characteristic  note, 
giving  the  names  of  the  young  fellows  in  the  ware- 
house whom  he  persuaded  to  accompany  him  on  each 
occasion.  George  Williams  had  the  instincts  of  a 
missionary.  If  he  could  do  nothing  else,  he  could 
always  discover  some  excuse  for  bringing  men  within 
the  sound  of  the  Gospel. 

The  diaries  are  of  a  much  more  intimate  and 
personal  character,  and  call  for  more  detailed  notice. 
They  form  the  valuable  autobiography  of  a  Chris- 
tian young  man.  Commonplace  they  may  be  —  it 
is  fortunate  that  men  of  twenty  do  not  often  write 
with  an  eye  on  posterity  —  but  no  excuse  is  needed 
for  quoting  some  sentences  from  them,  for,  trivial 
as  these  may  sound,  they  are  at  least  full  of  self- 
revelation. 

The  world  is  so  crowded  with  hypocrisy  that  in 
surveying  the  life  of  such  a  man  as  the  founder  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  one  naturally 
asks  the  question  which  so  often  discovers  the  giant's 
feet  of  clay:  Did  he  practise  what  he  preached? 


70  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

He  asked  much  of  young  men ;  no  one,  indeed,  could 
ask  more.  He  demanded  of  them  a  great  sacrifice, 
the  greatest  of  sacrifices.  Did  he  deny  himself? 
Easy  enough  for  the  man  of  years  and  honour,  for 
whom  success  has  made  the  pathway  smooth,  to  talk 
of  the  Christian  life  a  young  man  should  lead  in 
the  City,  of  the  beauty  of  holiness,  of  keeping  one's 
self  unspotted  from  the  world.  Easy  enough  for 
one  raised  above  the  press  of  care  and  throng  of 
work  to  speak  of  the  claims  of  Christ  upon  a  young 
man's  time  and  thought  and  money.  What  of  the 
young  man  himself  when  he  was  young?  Was  he 
ever  young?  Or  was  he  one  of  those  unattractive 
phenomenons  who  are  born  old?  Easy  enough  to  talk 
of  a  young  man's  temptations  from  the  serene  heights 
of  age  and  wealth,  when  the  blood  has  cooled  and 
desires  have  dulled,  and  a  settled,  certain  comfort 
has  rolled  the  roughness  out  of  existence  and  softened 
its  harsh  conflicts.  What  of  the  young  man  himself, 
in  the  fierce  heat  of  the  fight,  when  he  was  making 
his  way,  forcing  his  way?  What  of  the  days  when 
the  tempter  was  a  roaring  lion,  when  passions  flamed 
within  him? 

Did  he,  like  so  many,  conveniently  forget  in  after 
years  the  days  of  apprenticeship  and  struggle?  Did 
he,  like  so  many,  build  an  imaginary  past  out  of 
the  desires  of  the  present?  Did  he,  greatly  daring, 
preach  a  piety,  a  purity  he  had  never  practised? 

Fair   questions    these;     questions    often    asked,    I 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  71 

doubt  not,  of  such  men  as  Sir  George  Williams; 
questions  to  which  he  could  never  reply  in  his  life- 
time. Strange  it  is  how  many  of  life's  questions  can 
only  be  answered  by  death,  how  often  a  man's  lips 
are  sealed  till  his  eyes  are  for  ever  closed.  It  is 
true  that  I  might  refer  to  the  testimony  of  the  few 
contemporaries  of  those  early  days  who  still  sur- 
vive him,  but  memories  of  such  matters  of  the  secret 
life  are  too  often  rose-tinted  by  time.  Let  me  show 
how,  in  these  days,  as  in  the  years  that  followed, 
his  life  never  mocked  his  lips.  As  a  man  thinketh 
in  his  heart  —  these  are  his  heart  thoughts. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  New  Year,  1843,  he  writes : 
"  Went  to  Woodbridge  prayer  meeting  quarter  after 
seven  o'clock;  attended  our  prayer  meeting  from 
nine  to  ten ;  heard  Mr.  Binney  —  ordinance  day. 
Afternoon  met  various  schools  at  Weigh  House; 
closed  about  half -past  four  o'clock.  Returned  to 
Hitchcock's  to  tea.  Attended  our  prayer  meeting; 
went  to  chapel ;  heard  Mr.  Binney  —  a  good  day." 

But,  it  will  be  said  at  once,  this  is  a  record  of  a 
Sunday,  of  the  first  Sunday  of  the  year  —  the  day 
of  the  new  leaf  in  most  lives  —  this  is  no  fair  test  of 
a  young  man's  religion.  Many  are  the  sneers  at 
a  one-day-in-the-week  piety.  But  it  may  safely  be 
said  that  you  can  gauge  with  some  accuracy  the 
fervour,  if  not  necessarily  the  sincerity,  of  a  busy 
man's  faith  by  his  life  on  Sunday.  I  know  the 
arguments  which  may  well  be  brought  against  a 


72  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

restless  day  of  rest,  a  day  crowded  with  work,  as 
George  Williams  lived  it  through  his  career.  I  know, 
too,  that  in  spite  of  the  long  and  tedious  hours  of 
labour  sixty  years  ago,  the  mental  and  moral  strain 
of  business  was  light  judged  by  the  standards  of 
to-day,  so  that  it  would  be  unfair  to  reason  that  what 
was  possible  for  a  young  man  in  the  City  in  1843, 
is  equally  possible,  or,  if  possible,  wise  and  justifi- 
able, at  the  present  time.  Still,  Sunday  offered  then, 
even  more  than  it  offers  now,  the  one  opportunity 
in  the  week  for  recreation,  was  then,  even  more  than 
it  is  now,  the  one  day  of  escape. 
'  One  of  the  secrets  of  George  Williams's  success 
in  all  his  undertakings,  religious  as  well  as  commer- 
cial, was  his  extraordinary  capacity  for  work,  his 
tireless  energy  of  brain  and  body.  It  is  a  com- 
monplace to  speak  of  change  of  work  as  recreation, 
but  that  was  the  Sabbath  rest  as  George  Williams 
understood  it.  So  far  from  the  first  Sunday  being 
in  any  way  an  exception,  it  is  one  of  the  quietest 
recorded  in  these  diaries.  In  addition  to  the  Sunday 
School  work  at  the  Weigh  House,  which  occupied 
him  increasingly,  he  was  soon  visiting  the  slums  on 
Sunday  afternoon,  and  holding  services  in  the  dark- 
est districts  of  London,  whose  darkness  in  those  days 
was  night  indeed.  Mr.  Creese  tells  how  the  first  day 
he  spent  in  London  he  accompanied  George  Williams 
to  the  slums  to  visit  absentee  Sunday  School  children. 
"  He  ran  up  the  almost  perpendicular  stairs  with 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  73 

the  lissomness  of  a  cat,  while  I  stumbled  after  him. 
On  the  top  landing  the  voices  of  children  were  heard, 
and  a  rap  at  the  door  brought  the  mother,  who 
cautiously  opened  it  some  six  inches.  George  put 
his  foot  in  to  keep  it  from  being  closed,  and  asked 
if  she  had  any  children.  After  a  little  coaxing  we 
were  admitted,  and  my  companion  talked  to  mother 
and  children  and  persuaded  them  to  promise  to  be 
ready  on  the  next  Sunday  when  he  would  come  and 
fetch  them  to  school.  Descending  to  the  next  land- 
ing, a  gruff  voice,  '  Come  in,'  brought  us  into  the 
presence  of  four  Irishmen,  who  were  playing  cards. 
George  Williams  stood  before  them  undaunted  and, 
ignoring  their  protests  that  they  had  been  to  mass 
in  the  morning,  denounced  their  conduct  in  such  a  ter- 
rific manner  that  we  left  them  silent  and  evidently 
much  impressed.  He  could  be  as  tender  as  a  mother 
with  the  children  in  the  garret,  but  would  meet  the 
Sabbath  breaker  with  the  boldness  of  a  lion." 

A  few  Sundays  later  George  Williams  writes: 
"  Got  up  at  twenty  minutes  to  seven,  Scripture  and 
prayer  meeting  in  Room  No.  2,  heard  Mr.  Sherman 
on  '  A  Gracious  Refuge.'  Afternoon  went  to  Darby 
Street  School  and  visited  Rag  Fair.  Another  prayer 
meeting  in  No.  2.  Heard,  in  the  evening,  Mr.  Smith, 
of  Brook  Street  Chapel."  Then  follows  a  list  of  the 
young  fellows  in  the  house  whom  he  induced  to  ac- 
company him  to  the  various  services,  and  the  entry 
adds,  "  Quite  enjoyed  the  day." 


74  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Early  in  the  year  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of 
the  Sunday  School  at  the  Weigh  House,  and  prays 
that  "  this  office  may  not  raise  my  vanity,  but  in 
every  way  may  I  be  kept  humble,  in  the  valley,  seek- 
ing His  glory."  In  December  he  was  visiting  Duck 
Lane,  Westminster,  where  he  "  sought  out  a  congre- 
gation by  candle-light,  went  into  lodging-houses,  and 
got  them  to  come  and  listen  to  the  Gospel,"  and  soon 
he  was  too  occupied  with  religious  work  of  all  kinds 
to  attend  regularly  the  services  at  Weigh  House. 
By  the  end  of  the  year  he  was  addressing  at  least 
three  services  on  Sunday  —  Mrs.  Cutting's  school 
in  the  morning,  the  little  gathering  of  poor  people 
at  Husbord  Street  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  the 
evening  an  open-air  meeting  at  Duck  Lane,  besides 
attending  several  prayer  meetings  in  the  house  of 
business,  visiting  various  cottages  round  Paddington 
Green,  and  looking  up  children  absent  from  the 
Sunday  School. 

A  few  months  later  he  writes  that  he  spent  Sun- 
day morning  at  Darby  Street  with  the  Sunday  School, 
the  afternoon  at  the  Weigh  House  Sunday  School, 
and  the  evening  at  Jurston  Street  Ragged  School, 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  young  man  of 
the  cheery  manner  and  unbounded  enthusiasm  was 
greatly  in  demand  in  a  number  of  districts,  espe- 
cially in  connection  with  work  among  children.  In 
this  way,  while  he  had  health  'and  strength,  his  Sun- 
days were  always  occupied.  The  work  changed  with 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  75 

the  years.  His  Bible  Class  for  young  men,  of  which 
I  shall  have  occasion  to  write  later,  gradually  took 
the  place  of  the  afternoon  Sunday  School,  and  in 
its  turn  gave  way  to  other  gatherings  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  Heavy  business  re- 
sponsibilities, marriage,  a  home  of  his  own,  a  growing 
family  —  these  were  never  allowed  to  interfere  with 
his  Sunday  programme  of  work.  As  it  was  in  the 
early  days,  so  it  continued.  In  this,  as  in  most 
things,  the  young  man  of  1843  had  settled  and  deter- 
mined his  life.  George  Williams  kept  young  because 
he  had  no  desire  and  no  occasion  to  change  his  way 
of  living  when  he  was  old. 

The  characteristic  note  of  George  Williams's  re- 
ligion in  later  life  was  its  unfailing  optimism,  its 
sunniness.  This  was  always  the  chief  impression 
which  those  who  met  him  casually  took  away  from 
his  presence.  He  seemed  never  to  know  what  it  was 
to  be  down-hearted  or  disappointed.  When  London 
was  bound  in  fog,  his  office  was  radiant  with  sunshine. 
But  one  is  glad  to  find  that  this  was  not  the  prevailing 
note  of  the  early  days  —  glad,  because  such  serenity 
in  a  young  man  of  twenty-three  is  unhealthy,  and 
is  almost  invariably  associated  with  smugness  and 
self-complacency,  that  odious  soul-sickness  so  sadly 
prevalent  among  young  Christians.  George  Williams 
knew  much  of  that  divine  discontent  which  humbles 
a  man  to  the  dust,  which  often  digs  the  grave  into 
which  men  are  buried  with  Christ  and  from  which 


76  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

they  are  raised  up  to  walk  in  newness  of  life.  He 
was,  like  most  men  of  his  age,  decidedly  introspective 
in  religious  matters.  He  had  been  taught  by  his 
fathers  in  Christ  to  examine  himself,  and  he  did  this 
with  his  usual  thoroughness.  He  was  fond  of  tap- 
ping his  spiritual  barometer,  and  although  the  hand 
seldom  fell  to  storm  —  in  all  his  life  you  will  see  that 
storms  generally  passed  him  by  —  still  there  were 
times  when  the  glass  was  low.  Thus  he  writes :  "  Had 
a  dark  and  gloomy  spiritual  week.  Much  to  mourn 
over.  Studied  the  predictions  in  the  Old  Testament 
and  their  fulfilment.  A  dark  week."  For  several 
days  afterwards  he  was  "  under  a  cloud,"  having 
"  scarcely  any  enjoyment  in  prayer  and  not  enjoying 
the  happy  feeling  of  unitedness  to  Christ.  A  week 
of  much  spiritual  darkness  and  gloom."  And  again 
a  little  later :  "  A  terrible  week.  Many  things  to 
mourn  over.  Much  spiritual  darkness.  Done  little 
for  God.  Cold  in  prayer.  OJi,  that  the  Lord  would 
be  pleased  to  revive  His  work  in  my  heart !  Oh,  that 
God  would  pour  out  His  Spirit,  and  cause  this  valley 
of  dry  bones  to  live !  " 

And  then,  as  always,  the  gloom  was  dispelled  by 
the  gladness  of  more  work  for  his  Master.  A  day 
or  two  afterwards,  he  tells  how  "  fourteen  attended 
a  prayer  meeting  in  one  of  the  bedrooms,"  and  how 
he  has  much  to  encourage  him,  as  "  many  young  men 
have  entered  the  business  amongst  whom  we  have 
been  able  to  break  the  Bread  of  Life,"  with  the  result 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  77 

that  "  through  the  mercy  of  God  I  have  enjoyed 
prayer  a  little  more,  and  am  feeling  greater  pleasure 
in  glorifying  Christ  in  all  things."  Again  and 
again,  after  days  of  darkness  and  sorrow,  we  find 
him  telling  how  he  found  happiness  "  in  the  service 
of  Christ,"  and  as  a  result  of  toil  for  others  "  found 
converse  sweet  with  God."  On  most  days  he  notes 
his  meditation  on  special  subjects.  He  writes,  for 
instance,  "  Spiritually  dwelt  on  humility.  Had  my 
mind  much  affected  by  the  signs  of  the  times.  .  .  . 
Thought  on  the  blessings  pronounced  on  the  meek. 
.  .  .  Thought  on  the  proper  humility  which  is  so 
attractive  in  the  sight  of  God.  .  .  .  Studied  meek- 
ness^" At  another  time,  "  Thought  on  many  who 
were  blessed  because  they  were  hungering  and  thirst- 
ing after  God."  This  prayer  for  humility  is  echoed 
from  day  to  day,  and  who  shall  say  that  it  was  not 
abundantly  answered  in  the  years  that  followed, 
when  a  man  who  had  more  cause  than  most  for  pride, 
never  lost  the  beauty  of  a  simple  spirit? 

He  writes  much,  too,  of  the  loving  kindness  and 
mercy  of  God,  which  was  always,  I  think,  his  fa- 
vourite theme,  the  heart  of  his  Gospel.  "  Oh,  His 
great  mercies  in  sparing  me,"  he  says  at  one  time 
after  he  had  been  ill,  "  how  ungrateful  am  I  to  Him ! 
How  few  of  His  mercies  do  I  appreciate.  How 
kindly  does  He  afflict.  What  do  I  deserve  instead 
of  gentle  affliction?  The  rod,  the  frown,  the  trial. 
How  great  does  His  long-suffering  abound  toward 


78  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

His  sinful  servant.  How  good  is  God  in  not  sending 
me  to  hell.  How  plenteous  in  goodness  and  truth. 
.  .  .  Oh,  His  love  displayed  in  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  how  sweet  to  meditate  on  it." 

It  almost  shocks  us  to  find  him  mourning  again 
and  again  his  slothfulness  in  doing  the  Lord's  busi- 
ness. Surely  if  ever  a  young  man  might  have  said, 
"  I  have  been  very  jealous  for  the  Lord,"  it  was 
George  Williams,  but  he  was  so  filled  with  the  ambi- 
tion of  God  that  he  was  ever  conscious  of  failure  to 
attain.  "  Plow  much  reason  have  I,"  he  writes,  "  to 
be  ashamed  of  myself,  not  only  for  not  speaking 
to  those  I  meet  with  on  the  all-important  subject,  but 
for  exemplifying  so  much  of  the  world  in  myself." 
He  was  but  twenty-two  years  of  age  when  he  made 
this  entry :  "  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  brought  me 
through  many  trials.  Oh,  my  soul,  how  dull  to 
spiritual  things.  How  swift  the  time  is  passing,  and 
ere  long  thou  wilt  leave  all  those  near  and  dear  to 
thee  on  earth.  Make  good  use  of  thy  time,  like 
Whitefield  did,  in  bringing  souls  to  Christ." 

Although  it  would  appear  that  every  spare  mo- 
ment during  these  years  was  occupied  with  religious 
work  both  inside  and  outside  the  house  of  business, 
it  must  not  be  imagined  that  he  never  went  out  into 
the  world.  Throughout  his  life  he  had  a  keen  enjoy- 
ment of  social  functions,  and  there  was  not  the  slight- 
est taint  of  the  kill- joy  about  him. 

He   was    fully    alive   to   the   interests    of   the   life 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  79 

beyond  the  warehouse.  Politician  he  never  was.  He 
was  never,  indeed,  a  party  man  even  in  ecclesiastical 
matters,  although  at  this  time  he  was  agitated  by  the 
Maynooth  grant,  and  records  several  discussions  as 
to  Church  and  State  with  his  friends.  From  the  first 
he  would  tolerate  no  distinction  of  creed  or  party  in 
Christian  intercourse.  In  this  connection  Mr.  Creese 
tells  a  characteristic  story.  He  writes :  "  One  Sunday 
evening  four  young  men  were  standing  talking  outside 
Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers's  before  separating  each 
to  go  to  his  chosen  place  of  worship.  George  Williams 
was  one,  I  was  another.  It  happened  that  four  sec- 
tions of  the  Christian  Church  were  represented  by  us ; 
but  this  was  unnoticed  by  all  excepting  George,  who, 
without  a  word,  suddenly  threw  his  arms  around  our 
necks,  drawing  us  closely  together,  and  said,  '  Here 
we  are  Churchman,  Baptist,  Independent,  Wesleyan 
—  four  creeds,  one  in  Christ.  Come  along.' ' 

One  of  the  first  entries  in  the  diaries  refers  to  his 
decision  to  learn  music,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note 
that  he  received  his  lessons  at  Exeter  Hall.  He  evi- 
dently had  some  doubts  as  to  the  wisdom  of  this  course, 
and  it  takes  one  back  a  long  way  to  read  that  he 
decided  in  favour  of  music  by  lot.  He  evidently 
settled  many  difficult  matters  in  the  old  Scriptural 
manner,  for  later  he  notes  that  he  decided  by  lot  not 
to  attend  one  of  Dr.  Binney's  teachers'  teas.  The 
music  lessons  took  a  good  deal  of  time,  and  at  one 
stage  he  wondered  whether  they  were  not  interfering 


80  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

with  his  work,  but  he  seems  to  have  been  encouraged 
by  his  progress,  and  writes  with  some  gratification 
that  he  has  "  got  beyond  the  Lark."  Although  he 
could  never  lay  claim  to  any  peculiar  musical  talent, 
George  Williams  always  insisted  upon  the  value  and 
importance  of  music  and  singing,  and  he  was  cer- 
tainly not  a  little  grieved  at  the  objections  raised 
in  after  years  by  certain  members  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  against  the  sacred  con- 
certs held  in  Exeter  Hall. 

Later  he  joined  an  elocution  class,  and  recited  "  a 
piece  by  Byron."  "  I  hope,"  he  says,  "  it  will  be  the 
means  of  doing  me  good,  so  that  I  may  be  better 
able  to  work  for  Christ."  He  was  fond,  too,  of  walks 
in  the  country,  especially  when  accompanied  by  his 
friends  from  the  house  —  he  was  no  lover  of  the  life 
solitary  —  and  when  his  relations  came  up  from  the 
country  he  would  take  them  to  Madame  Tussaud's, 
and  to  the  Polytechnic  Institute,  with  its  lectures, 
microscopes,  and  dissolving  views,  at  that  time  one  of 
the  great  show  places  of  London,  founded,  as  Punch 
stated  in  1843,  "  for  the  exhibition  of  objects  of  art 
among  its  curiosities,  and  occasionally  objects  of 
nature  among  its  visitors."  He  was,  too,  a  regular 
attendant  at  lectures  of  all  kinds.  This  was  the  period 
of  the  Mutual  Improvement  Societies.  George  Wil- 
liams made  good  use  of  the  opportunities  they  afforded 
of  adding  to  a  somewhat  scanty  education,  though 
I  tlo  not  think  he,  like  so  many  self-made  men,  ever 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  81 

put  an  absurdly  high  value  on  learning.  Certainly 
he  cared  little  for  books,  except  in  so  far  as  they 
served  him  in  his  service  for  others. 

During  these  first  years  in  the  City  he  spent  his 
holidays  with  his  family  in  Somerset,  and  the  diaries 
contain  references  to  two  visits  to  his  old  home  in 
1843  and  1844.  The  religion  of  a  Christian  young 
man  is  often  as  severely  tested  by  family  as  by  busi- 
ness relationships,  especially  when  the  family  does 
not  display  the  most  cordial  sympathy  with  his  as- 
pirations. A  man's  home  is  still  the  hardest  of  mission 
fields.  All  the  members  of  George  Williams's  family 
were  constantly  in  his  thoughts  and  prayers.  He 
writes  to  them  regularly,  always  putting  in  some  plea 
for  his  Master.  Hardly  a  day  passes  without  a  ref- 
erence in  the  diary  to  a  letter  from  his  pen  to  some 
friend  or  relation  in  the  country,  and  his  unvarying 
practice  of  closing  with  an  appeal  on  behalf  of  the 
things  of  the  soul,  was  not  the  outcome  of  a  habit  of 
later  times,  but  a  part  of  his  day's  plan  of  work  from 
the  time  that  work  began.  Once  more,  here  is  proof 
of  the  way  in  which  he  modelled  all  his  life  on  the 
lines  of  these  early  years.  Again  and  again,  in  the 
sacred  privacy  of  his  diary,  he  goes  over  the  loved 
names  one  by  one,  noting,  for  instance,  that  he 
has  nearly  one  hundred  relations,  of  whom  he  fears 
very  few  are  saved;  yearning  over  them,  grieving 
for  them,  praying  for  each  and  all.  He  is  greatly 
encouraged  by  their  replies  to  his  letters,  and  rejoices 


82  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

with  unspeakable  joy  over  the   conversion   of  more 
than  one. 

It  is  evident  that  his  mother,  for  whom  he  cherished 
the  deepest  affection,  was  in  full  accord  with  him,  and 
on  his  return  home  she  and  one  of  his  brothers  used 
to  accompany  him  to  the  meetings  and  services  he 
attended  almost  every  day.  On  Sunday  they  go 
together  to  hear  the  public  examination  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Dulverton,  the  next  day  he  has  a  "  solemn 
conversation  "  with  one  of  his  uncles,  on  Wednes- 
day he  addresses  the  children  at  Dulverton ;  later  in 
the  week,  in  company  with  Mr.  Poole,  the  Congrega- 
tional minister  of  Dulverton,  he  goes  to  the  outlying 
villages,  distributes  tracts,  and  again  addresses  chil- 
dren's services.  On  Saturday  he  visits  his  brother's 
home,  and  has  "  a  little  prayer  meeting  after  tea." 
During  the  following  week  he  assists  at  a  farm  sale, 
and  has  his  soul  "  vexed  with  the  lies  and  oaths  of  the 
auctioneer."  "  I  talked  with  him,"  he  writes,  "  but 
found  him  too  far  gone  in  drink  to  do  any  good,  I 
fear.  Oh,  the  curse  of  being  too  anxious  for  money !  " 
On  his  return  to  London  he  makes  the  following 
entry  in  his  diary :  "  Blessed  be  His  holy  name  for 
all  the  goodness  and  mercy  I  have  received.  May 
this  visit  be  of  great  good.  Having  sown  the  seed,  I 
now  pray  for  its  growth."  And  later  he  records  that 
one  of  his  friends  in  Somerset  had  written  to  thank 
him  "  for  being,  through  God,  the  unworthy  instru- 
ment of  leading  her  to  Jesus."  "  Oh,  Lord,"  he 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  83 

writes,  "  how  long  ere  more  of  my  own  relatives  will 
be  brought  to  serve  and  glorify  Thee  on  the  earth? 
Is  it  not  Thy  will  that  all  shall  be  saved?  Oh,  Thou 
Spirit,  wilt  Thou  be  pleased  to  exert  Thy  power  on 
the  hearts  of  my  poor  relatives  that  they  may  all  be 
brought  to  Jesus  ?  " 

If  the  life  of  Sir  George  Williams  has  any  mes- 
sage, if  his  life  work,  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  has  any  permanent  message,  both  life 
and  work  must  speak  in  no  uncertain  way  of  the 
possibility  of  practical  religion.  Of  the  genuineness 
and  fervour  of  the  religious  spirit  of  this  Christian 
young  man  there  can  be  no  doubt.  But  how  did  this 
spirit  harmonise  with  the  strenuous,  strident  call  of 
the  busy  life?  George  Williams  was  a  keen  and  suc- 
cessful man  of  business  from  the  first.  We  have 
seen  something  of  his  enthusiasm  for  his  trade  when 
he  was  in  his  first  situation  at  Bridgwater,  and  that 
he  worked  hard  and  ungrudgingly  from  the  day  of 
his  entry  into  the  London  warehouse  is  abundantly 
evident  from  these  pages.  He  took  his  work  with  the 
utmost  seriousness,  he  felt  strongly  the  ups  and  downs 
of  his  commercial  experience.  He  notes  "  A  good 
day  " ;  "  Business  tolerable  " ;  "  Business  pretty 
well  " ;  and  it  is  easy  to  see  that  he  is  quickly  affected 
by  the  state  of  trade  in  his  department.  It  is  evident 
that  he  met  with  immediate  success  in  no  small  measure, 
for  in  1843  there  is  a  note  in  the  diary,  "  Took  £32 


84  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

in  one  day  " ;  and  a  few  weeks  later  he  is  entrusted 
with  the  buying  of  some  things  from  the  wholesale 
houses,  and  is  much  troubled  to  find  how  a  trying- 
day  in  the  warehouse  disturbs  his  mind  for  medita- 
tion and  prayer. 

The  relationship  between  young  George  Williams 
and  Mr.  Hitchcock  was  of  a  much  more  intimate 
nature  than  would  be  possible  in  business  nowadays, 
but  sixty  years  ago  the  head  of  a  firm  was  looked 
upon  in  the  light  of  the  father  of  the  family,  and, 
as  such,  was  much  more  approachable  than  the  present- 
day  principal,  guarded  as  he  is  from  intrusion  by 
serried  ranks  of  clerks  and  office  boys.  It  will  come 
as  a  surprise  to  some  to  find  that  George  Williams, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  notes  that  he  had  an  inter- 
view with  Mr.  Hitchcock,  and  was  "  much  delighted 
with  good  signs  of  life,"  and  that  later,  having  a 
sore  throat,  he  went  to  ask  Mr.  Hitchcock's  advice, 
and  "  had  a  delightful  hour's  conversation  with  him." 

On  his  return  from  Somerset  he  was  put  into  the 
"  Cashmeres,"  and  was  much  pleased  at  being  "  ex- 
alted to  occasional  shopwalker."  The  hours  were 
long  and  the  work  arduous,  for  he  notes  that  in 
November,  1843,  the  business  closed  for  the  first  time 
at  seven  p.  M.,  and  several  times  afterwards  he  speaks 
of  special  work  keeping  him  until  after  ten  p.  M.  In 
November  his  salary  was  advanced  by  Mr.  Hitchcock, 
and  he  writes,  "  Oh,  that  I  may  be  faithful  with  it 
and  spend  it  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  not  on  my 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  85 

own  indulgence!  Mr.  Hitchcock  expressed  to  me  a 
feeling  of  great  attachment.  Oh,  that  I  may  ever 
be  found  faithful!" 

I  believe  I  am  right  in  saying  that  at  this  time 
he  was  giving  away  regularly  two-thirds  of  his 
income. 

In  July  of  the  following  year  he  made  a  great 
stride  in  business,  and  the  entries  are  so  typical  of  the 
young  man's  attitude  of  mind,  that  they  are  worthy 
of  somewhat  full  quotation.  He  writes :  "  Mr.  Hitch- 
cock asked  me,  or  rather  offered  for  my  consider- 
ation, the  drapery  department  as  a  buyer.  And  now, 
oh,  Lord,  another  department  of  Thy  vineyard  opens 
to  my  view.  Thou  hast  brought  me  here  and  sup- 
ported me  up  to  this  time,  and  now,  oh,  my  God,  I  ask 
Thy  direction.  If  it  is  Thy  will  wilt  Thou  cause 
Mr.  Hitchcock  so  to  appoint,  but,  if  otherwise,  may 
his  mind  be  set  against  it.  I  ask  not  honour,  nor 
wealth,  nor  luxuries,  only  to  glorify  Thy  name.  Oh, 
God,  now  let  my  cry  come  unto  Thee.  I  plead  it  in 
the  name  of  Jesus.  Lord,  enable  my  ears  to  hear  a 
word  behind  me  saying,  '  This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in 
it.'  Oh,  my  God,  if  it  be  not  in  accordance  with  Thy 
will,  may  something  prevent  it,  wilt  Thou  influence 
his  mind,  but  if  it  be  in  accordance  with  Thy  mind, 
then  bring  it  to  pass,  and  enable  me,  Holy  Father, 
to  feel  I  am  in  the  path  where  Thou  wouldst  have 
me  to  go."  In  his  diary  he  sums  up  the  difficulties 
that  are  sure  to  beset  him  in  such  a  new  position,  and 


86  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

writes  of  the  special  business  qualifications  necessary 
to  make  the  department  a  success  — "  manlike  de- 
cision, judgment,  taste,  knowledge  of  the  stock."  On 
the  following  day  he  is  much  perturbed  to  find  that 
Mr.  Hitchcock  has  not  decided  definitely  in  his  favour, 
and  it  is  noteworthy  that  he  is  encouraged  by  the 
hearty  co-operation  of  "  all  the  brethren  in  the 
house,"  and  feels  that  by  their  prayers  he  will  surely 
succeed.  "  Yea,"  he  writes,  "  with  the  wisdom  which 
cometh  down  from  above  I  cannot  fail." 

One  likes  to  think  of  his  popularity  among  his 
associates,  though  they  must  have  had  much  cause 
to  envy  him  his  outstanding  success,  and  must  have 
watched  and  criticised  him  unsparingly.  But  although 
in  some  things  he  kept  himself  apart,  he  was  ever 
willing  and  anxious  to  help  any  and  all  of  his  fellow 
assistants.  One  of  those  who  was  with  him  in  the 
early  days  says  that  he  remembers  distinctly  how, 
when  any  one  was  behindhand  and  hard  pressed  with 
work,  George  Williams  was  always  the  first  to  assist, 
and  gave  his  aid  ungrudgingly  and  with  the  utmost 
cheeriness.  He  was  never  too  busy,  too  weary,  to  be 
of  service,  and  if  ever  a  man  were  in  a  scrape  it  was 
to  George  Williams  that  he  appealed.  There  is  some- 
thing uncommonly  attractive  about  a  Christian  young 
man,  who  is  at  the  same  time  a  successful  business 
young  man,  and  whose  genuineness  and  righteousness 
have  so  impressed  themselves  upon  his  companions, 
that,  in  spite  of  his  religion  and  in  spite  of  his  success, 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  87 

every  one  wishes  him  well.  That  is  one  of  the  finest 
of  all  tributes  that  can  be  rendered  to  practical 
Christianity. 

On  July  18th  he  was  called  into  Mr.  Hitchcock's 
counting-house,  and  appointed  drapery  buyer.  "  This 
day,"  he  writes,  "  is  a  day  of  worldly  exaltation." 
The  next  morning  he  goes  into  the  markets  for  the 
first  time,  and  says  he  finds  his  mind  much  occupied 
by  business,  and  laments  that  it  is  so  difficult  to  call 
away  his  attention  from  it. 

"What  is  my  aim?"  he  writes.  "Is  it  money, 
honour,  dignity,  luxuries,  ease?  What  is  there  in 
money  that  will  satisfy  thee,  oh,  my  soul?  What 
honour  can  there  be  compared  to  the  honour  I  already 
possess  of  being  a  child  of  God,  and  having  a  title 
to  an  inheritance  incorruptible?  What  dignity  so 
ennobling  as  what  I  already  possess  ?  What  greatness 
equal  to  being  a  child  of  God,  a  joint-heir  with  Christ? 
Luxuries,  what  are  they?  Pleasing  to  the  flesh,  but 
not  half  so  pleasing  as  the  smiles  of  His  countenance. 
Ease,  what  is  that?  Do  I  require  it?  No,  not  whilst 
souls  are  going  to  hell." 

Gradually,  as  the  responsibility  increases,  he  finds 
trials  abound  more  and  more  and  temptations  grow- 
ing in  severity.  He  is  most  fearful  of  falling  a 
prey  to  "  colouring  and  exaggeration."  "  Oh,  Lord," 
he  writes,  "  wilt  Thou  keep  me  from  it,  and  preserve 
me  to  the  end.  Strengthen  my  memory  and  bless 
me  in  all  I  do.  May  I  in  business  act  as  though 


88  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Mr.  Hitchcock  were  standing  by.  Oh,  my  Father, 
help  me  to  be  conscientious  in  all  I  do.  Oh,  Lord, 
by  Thy  wisdom  and  strength  all  will  become  right, 
but  help  me  to  be  more  humble  and  patient;  guide 
my  judgment  and  keep  me  in  the  right  way." 

He  seems  at  this  time  to  have  been  troubled  by 
his  healthy  appetite,  and  writes  of  "  eating "  as 
another  besetting  sin.  On  one  occasion  he  gives  in 
detail  an  exact  menu  for  the  day  —  so  many  pieces 
of  bread  and  butter  at  each  meal,  with  an  exception 
at  dinner  "  on  pudding  days "  —  and  promises  to 
fine  himself  sixpence  for  the  benefit  of  the  Missionary 
Society  each  time  he  exceeds  the  allotted  amount. 
His  notes  as  to  the  stock  in  his  department,  and 
his  anxiety  on  account  of  certain  parts  of  it  which 
he  marks  "  heavy,"  prove  him  to  have  been  par- 
ticularly anxious  to  make  a  good  showing  at  the 
end  of  the  business  year.  The  diaries  are  full  of  the 
details  of  trade,  which  would  be  of  no  interest  to 
the  general  reader;  but  from  all  one  gathers  proof, 
if  proof  were  necessary  in  view  of  the  success  and 
prosperity  which  were  his  in  the  following  years, 
that  this  Christian  young  man,  whose  religion  was  the 
most  potent  force  in  his  life,  was  not  therefore  a  poor 
hand  at  a  bargain.  He  records  in  1845,  that  in  six 
months  he  has  done  £3,800  more  business  than  the 
previous  year.  Christianity,  as  he  understood  it, 
never  blunted  his  keenness,  never  weakened  his  capa- 
city for  work.  He  was  not  one  of  those  who  find  a 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  89 

comforting  refuge  in  religion  when  they  have  failed 
in  everything  else,  —  men  who  adopt  piety  as  a  last 
resort,  the  final  excuse  for  existence ;  above  all,  not  one 
of  those  who  find  it  in  their  hearts  to  curse  that 

"  Sabbathless  Satan," 

"  Who  first  invented  work,  and  bound  the  free 

And  holiday-rejoicing  spirit  down 
To  the  ever-haunting  importunity 

Of  business,  in  the  green  fields,  and  the  town  — 
To  plough,  loom,  anvil,  spade  —  and,  oh  !  most  sad, 

To  that  dry  drudgery  at  the  desk's  dry  wood  ?  " 

That  he  was  conscious  of  the  conflict  between  the 
gods  of  this  world  and  the  God  whom  he  served, 
is  evident  enough  from  the  extracts  I  have  quoted  — 
often  he  writes  that  he  finds  Satan,  "  that  old  foe," 
very  busy,  and  prays  for  strength  against  him  — 
but  I  have  failed  to  find  any  suggestion  that  he 
doubted  for  one  single  moment  the  possibility  of  living 
the  life  as  he  knew  it  in  Christ,  while  at  the  same  time 
doing  everything  that  in  him  lay  to  produce  a  satis- 
factory balance  sheet.  He  was  proud,  too,  of  his 
work,  finding  nothing  in  the  dignity  of  business  in- 
compatible with  the  humblest  service  for  Christ.  And 
more  than  that  he  realised  quickly  the  possibilities 
of  the  social  side  of  such  service.  He  was  from  the 
first  an  ardent  supporter  of  every  kind  of  reform  in 
matters  of  trade.  Although  his  name  is  generally 
associated  with  active  evangelistic  work,  it  must  not 
be  forgotten  that  Sir  George  Williams  was  one  of 


90  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  leaders  in  the  fight  far  improved  conditions  of 
labour.  The  success  of  the  early-closing  movement 
owes  much  not  only  to  the  support  he  gave,  but  also 
to  the  example  he  afterwards  set  as  an  employer. 
As  a  young  man  he  went  with  his  friend  Valentine 
to  the  first  great  public  meeting  held  in  support  of 
early  closing  in  the  drapery  trade.  He  knew  what 
it  was  to  be  "  tired  in  body  and  lifeless  in  spirit  " 
at  the  end  of  the  day's  work,  knew  that  this  weari- 
ness of  soul  was  due  in  large  measure  to  physical 
causes.  He  did  not  forget  when  success  had  earned 
for  him  a  measure  of  independence.  He  never  made 
the  mistake  of  some  of  those  who  subsequently  la- 
boured with  him,  of  belittling  work  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  social  and  physical  life  of  young  men. 
He  remembered  how  hard  and  cramped  and  degraded 
were  the  circumstances  of  his  early  business  experi- 
ences, realised  that  health  of  body  made  for  health 
of  soul. 

I  could  wish,  then,  that  this  message  from  his  life 
might  ring  out  clear  to  those  who,  in  the  cruel  strife 
of  trade,  fear  to  remember  God,  lest  the  memory 
should  mean  the  failure  of  earthly  hopes  and  ambi- 
tions. Helped  by  no  trick  of  favour  or  chance  of 
birth,  suffering  no  taint  of  hypocrisy,  and  seeking 
first  in  all  things  the  Kingdom  of  God,  this  young  man 
of  the  single  life,  the  life  modelled  on  the  letter  of 
Scripture,  at  an  age  when  most  men  are  only  begin- 
ning to  form  ambitions,  attained  a  position  of  respon- 


THE  WORLD  AND  A  YOUNG  MAN  91 

sibility  and  prospective  wealth.  I  could  wish  that 
this  confession  and  creed  of  the  Christian  young 
man,  who  was  also  a  successful  young  man  of  busi- 
ness, might  reach  a  thousand  baffled  and  troubled 
hearts. 

"  What,"  he  writes,  "  is  my  duty  in  business  ?  To 
be  righteous.  To  do  right  things  between  man  and 
man.  To  buy  honestly.  Not  to  deceive  or  falsely 
represent  or  colour. 

"  What  is  my  duty  to  those  under  me?  To  be 
kind,  patient,  winning,  and  respectful.  When  I  see 
a  fault,  to  call  the  party  aside  and  talk  to  him  rather 
than  rebuke  him  before  others. 

Oh,  my  soul,  do  all  under  me  think  I  am  sincere? 
Where  is  the  difference  in  my  daily  actions  from 
another  man's?  Am  I  more  kind,  more  forbearing? 
Do  the  wicked  glorify  God  on  my  behalf? 

"  What  ought  I  to  do  ?  Constantly  repose  on 
God.  He  tells  me  to  be  careful  for  nothing,  but  in 
everything  by  prayer  and  supplication  make  my 
requests  known  unto  Him. 

"  How  short  of  that  have  I  lived.  How  ought  I 
rather  to  have  felt  that  He  who  placed  me  in  this 
situation  will  give  me  wisdom  and  strength  to  glorify 
Him  in  its  midst.  Oh,  for  a  stronger  faith  in  God. 
What  have  I  to  doubt  or  fear?  Yea,  by  His  help 
I  will  not.  I  would  be  righteous  and  holy  in  business, 
doing  it  as  for  Christ. 

Oh,  Lord,  Thou  hast  given  me  money.     Give 


92  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

heart  to  do  Thy  will  with  it.     May  I  use  it  for  Thee 
and  seek  to  get  wisdom  from  Thee  to  use  it  aright." 

George  Williams  did  not  attempt  to  serve  God  and 
vmammon. 

He  served  God,  and  made  mammon  serve  him. 


THE  UPPER  ROOM  IN  ST.  PAUL'S 
CHURCHYARD 


CHAPTER   V 

THE    UPPER   ROOM   IN   ST.    PAUL'S 
CHURCHYARD 

IR,"  said  a  friend  to  John  Wesley,  "  you  wish 
to  serve  God  and  go  to  heaven.  Remember 
you  cannot  serve  Him  alone;  you  must,  therefore, 
find  companions  or  make  them.  The  Bible  knows 
nothing  of  solitary  religion." 

When  George  Williams  joined  the  firm  of  Hitch- 
cock &  Rogers,  his  first  concern  was  to  find  or  to 
make  companions  of  the  Christian  way.  There  were 
in  the  house  some  140  assistants,  of  whom  he  wrote: 
"  I  found  no  means  of  grace  of  any  kind.  My  heart 
was  very  warm  —  I  was  little  over  twenty  at  that 
time  —  and  I  asked  myself,  '  What  can  I  do  for  these 
young  men?  There  were  five  or  six  of  us  in  a 
bedroom,  and  the  conduct  of  my  companions  was 
altogether  different  from  anything  you  can  form  an 
idea  of.  In  an  inner  room  which  opened  out  of  this 
bedroom  there  were  four  or  five  young  men,  one  of 
whom  was  a  Christian,  and  one  was  a  good  moral 
character,  although  unconverted."  Through  the 
efforts  of  this  Christian  young  man  the  two  obtained 


96  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  privilege  of  meeting  in  his  bedroom  for  prayer, 
the  other  assistants  being  persuaded  to  stay  away 
for  a  short  time,  and  not  to  interfere  with  them. 
Here  is  George  Williams's  summary  of  these  early 
beginnings :  "  We  met,  our  numbers  grew,  and  the 
room  was  soon  crammed.  In  answer  to  prayer,  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  present,  and  we  had  conversion 
after  conversion." 

Let  it  never  be  forgotten  that  the  foundations  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  were  laid  in 
a  prayer  meeting  in  an  upper  room,  in  the  fervent, 
effectual  prayers  of  two  young  men. 

Immediately  upon  his  arrival  in  London,  George 
Williams  singled  out  one  after  another  from  among 
the  assistants  in  the  drapery  establishment  and  pled 
for  them  individually  at  the  Throne  of  Grace.  Mr. 
William  Creese,  a  survivor  of  the  twelve  original 
members  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
remembers  having  once  seen  George  Williams  throw 
himself  on  his  bed  in  a  passion  of  weeping,  so  great 
was  his  agony  of  spirit  over  some  prodigal  in  a  far 
country.  "  Without  blood,  there  is  no  "  —  nothing 
effectual  in  work  of  body,  mind,  or  spirit,  certainly 
no  effectual  prayer.  George  Williams  poured  out 
of  his  life-blood  in  the  tremendous  battle  to  win  a 
single  soul  for  Christ.  That  is  the  only  certain  way 
of  victory. 

His  diaries  contain  many  references  to  these  early 
wrestlings.  "  In  (room)  No.  14."  he  writes  at  one 


SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  AS  A  YOUNG  MAN 

From  a  photograph  taken  soon  after  the  start  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association 


THE   UPPER   ROOM  97 

time,  "  the  Lord  having  closed  me  in,  I  was  enabled 
to  plead,  and  I  believe  the  Lord  has  given  me  — 
Here  follow  the  names  of  three  assistants.  "  Oh, 
Lord,  now  come  down  and  let  me  plead  with  Thee 
until  I  prevail."  On  the  next  day  another  name  is 
added,  arid  every  week  the  list  grows.  At  the  end 
of  the  year  he  enters  the  names  of  nine  friends  for 
whom  he  has  made  special  supplication,  all  of  whom 
"  have  received  Christ."  In  one  case  the  answer 
came  within  two  ^~vs.  His  belief  in  the  power  of 
prayer  seldom  raftered.  His  was  the  assurance  of 
faith  that  works  miracles.  "  I  believe,"  he  writes, 

"  that  T will  feel  his  sins  this  day  and  turn  to 

Jesus.  Oh,  Lord,  hear  and  answer  my  prayer." 
Two  months  later  there  is  an  entry  which  proves  that 
the  prayer  was  abundantly  answered.  On  December 
23,  1844,  he  mentions  a  number  of  men  for  whom  he 
is  praying,  and  on  the  1st  January  of  the  following 
year,  six  of  these  are  "  under  conviction  and  give 
evidence  of  the  work  of  grace."  Surely  never  young 
man  had  quicker  or  more  abundant  harvest.  No 
wonder  that  he  aq|ds :  "  Oh,  that  we  could  sufficiently 
praise  God  for  His  goodness  and  wonderful  works  to 
the  children  of  men." 

The  meetings  grew  rapidly  in  numbers  and  in 
influence ;  for  while  he  notes  that  on  Friday,  June 
30,  1843,  a  prayer  meeting  from  half -past  six  to 
half-past  seven  was  established  in  No.  1  bedroom, 
a  month  later  there  are  twenty  present  at  an  early 


98  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

morning  prayer  meeting,  and  in  September  about 
twenty-five  at  the  Bible  meeting  conducted  in  No.  2 
bedroom  by  Christopher  Smith,  one  of  the  ablest  of 
the  young  men,  a  student  and  a  scholar.  Room  after 
room  was  requisitioned  as  the  attendance  increased, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  year  there  were  on  one  occasion 
twenty-seven  present  at  the  prayer  meeting  in  Room 
No.  13. 

To  these  young  men  George  Williams  introduced  the 
two  books  by  Charles  Finney  to  which  reference  has 
already  been  made,  and  as  a  result  of  the  discussion 
of  the  ways  and  means  of  revival,  they  banded  them- 
selves together  to  enter  upon  a  systematic  campaign. 
A  kind  of  informal  home  missionary  society  was 
formed,  one  of  the  plans  of  which  was  that  in  due 
course  every  one  in  the  house  should  be  spoken  to 
about  his  soul.  At  each  meeting  certain  names  were ' 
brought  forward  of  those  for  whom  special  and  united 
prayer  was  suggested,  and  in  this  manner  man  after 
man  was  marked  out,  and  no  opportunity  was  lost  of 
speaking  with  him.  In  almost  every  case  their  faith 
and  their  works  were  rewarded,  and  almost  daily  there 
were  added  unto  them  such  as  should  be  saved.  Never 
was  revival  started  on  such  business-like,  matter-of- 
fact  lines,  but  behind  all  the  planning  there  was  the 
fire  of  tremendous  faith  and  earnestness.  George 
Williams  was  possessed  also  of  that  extraordinarily 
rare  virtue  in  a  young  man  —  tact.  He  was  wont 
to  say,  when  asked  as  to  the  means  he  suggested  for 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  99 

tackling  a  young  man,  "  Don't  argue,  take  him  to 
supper,"  and  in  more  than  one  instance  he  carried  out 
his  suggestion  literally.  In  reviewing  these  early 
days,  George  Williams  used  to  tell  the  story  of  how 
they  won  over  to  their  side  one  of  the  young  fellows 
in  the  house  who  was  most  active  in  his  opposition, 
and  whose  conduct  was  a  terrible  ordeal  for  their 
faith.  He  held  a  good  position  in  the  business,  and 
as  George  Williams  relates,  "  we  could  not  get  near 
him  in  any  way.  When  any  young  fellow  gave  his 
heart  to  Christ,  he  would  pounce  upon  him  and  say, 
'  We  '11  soon  take  all  that  nonsense  out  of  you ! ' 
This  young  man  was  the  organiser  and  chairman 
of  the  "  free-and-easy "  held  on  Saturday  evening 
at  the  adjoining  public-house,  "  The  Goose  and  Grid- 
iron," and  largely  frequented  by  Hitchcock  &  Rogers's 
assistants.  In  a  short  time  he  had  promoted  a  very 
active  and  vigorous  campaign  against  these  young 
men  of  the  upper  room,  and  naturally  he  was  at  once 
marked  out  by  them  for  special  and  particular  prayer. 
For  many  weeks  they  waited  in  vain  for  sign  of 
change.  His  hostility  increased  in  vehemence  and 
bitterness. 

The  best  part  of  one  evening's  meeting  was  devoted 
to  a  discussion  as  to  the  most  likely  means  of  getting 
into  touch  with  this  most  unsympathetic  young  man. 

"  Can  any  one  tell  me,"  said  George  Williams, 
"  if  there  is  anything  he  is  specially  fond  of  which 
we  could  give  him?  Can  we  do  anything  that  will 


100  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

overcome  his  dislike  for  us?  "  One  of  those  present 
suggested  with  a  touch  of  humour  that  he  had  a 
passion  for  oysters.  "  Let 's  give  him  an  oyster 
supper  then,"  said  George  Williams.  "  Who  is  the 
best  man  to  invite  him?  "  They  selected  one  who 
was  on  comparatively  friendly  terms  with  the  chair- 
man of  the  "  free-and-easy,"  and  in  due  course  he 
was  casually  informed  that  a  number  of  the  young 
fellows  were  going  to  join  in  a  big  oyster  supper, 
and  would  be  glad  if  he  would  accompany  them. 
The  idea  of  these  Christian  young  men  indulging  in 
such  frivolity  amused  him  immensely,  and  in  a  spirit 
of  bravado  he  accepted  their  invitation.  It  was  a 
lively  evening  for  all  concerned,  and  all  enjoyed  it, 
for  George  Williams  had  given  strict  instructions 
that  no  attempt  at  proselytising  was  to  be  made  on 
that  occasion.  Their  avowed  enemy,  finding  himself 
in  such  pleasant  company,  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  these  young  men  were  not  so  black  as  he  had 
painted  them.  As  a  return  for  their  hospitality,  he 
consented  later  on  to  attend  one  of  their  meetings. 
The  sequel  is  best  told  in  an  extract  from  the  diary 
of  George  Williams's  friend,  Edward  Valentine,  who 
writes  in  May,  1844 :  "  In  the  course  of  the  day 
George  Williams  came  to  me  and  said  he  believed 
something  particular  was  going  to  happen  to-day, 
inasmuch  as  the  Spirit's  operation  seemed  visible  in 
our  midst.  A  young  man  by  the  name  of  Rogers 
was  seriously  impressed  about  his  soul's  salvation. 


THE    UPPER   BOOM  ItH 

G(eorge)  W(illiams)  spoke  to  him  after  we  had 
arranged  to  have  a  prayer  meeting  in  the  evening, 
and  whilst  engaged  packing  up  a  parcel  Rogers 
came  to  me  and  told  me  that  he  was  thinking  very  seri- 
ously about  his  immortal  soul."  The  next  morning 
Rogers  was  still  more  concerned,  and  William  Creese 
noticing  his  attitude,  said  to  George  Williams, 
"  George,  what  is  up  with  Rogers  ?  "  "  I  do  not 
know,"  he  replied,  "  but  I  feel  I  cannot  pray  for 
him  any  longer.  I  was  praying  for  him  this  morn- 
ing until  it  seemed  as  if  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven 
saying  to  me  '  Yes,'  and  I  knew  he  would  be  con- 
verted." Shortly  afterwards  Rogers  definitely  threw 
in  his  lot  with  the  little  band  of  the  upper  room. 
His  name  is  to  be  found  among  the  first  twelve  mem- 
bers of  the  Association,  and  by  a  curious  coincidence 
his  is  the  only  one  of  the  twelve  cards  of  membership 
which  has  been  preserved.  It  is  reproduced  on 
another  page. 

The  intense  earnestness  of  young  George  Williams 
was  an  abiding  memory  to  all  who  met  him  at  this 
period,  and  while  it  was  an  inspiration  and  delight 
to  those  who  shared  his  zeal,  it  was,  I  doubt  not,  a 
constant  embarrassment  to  those  who  wished  at  all 
costs  to  avoid  him.  Going  to  bed  at  night  was  an 
undertaking  calling  for  much  careful  scouting  on 
the  part  of  those  who  had  attracted  his  attention, 
and  they  would  carefully  examine  the  passages  lead- 
ing to  their  bedrooms  to  make  sure  of  the  coast  being 


10£  STR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

clear,  for  their  zealous  comrade  was  often  lying  in 
ambush,  and,  given  the  opportunity,  would  not  be 
denied. 

Strange  to  say,  however,  his  importunity  never 
offended.  He  had,  as  was  often  said,  a  way  with 
him.  It  was  impossible  to  resent  his  cheery,  un- 
affected sincerity,  his  manly  directness,  his  courageous 
simplicity.  And  all  in  the  house  respected  him,  for 
he  was  admitted  to  be  one  of  the  best  salesmen  in  the 
City. 

At  one  of  the  earliest  meetings  these  young  fellows 
determined  to  join  in  special  prayer  for  the  head  of 
the  firm,  Mr.  George  Hitchcock,  who,  at  that  time, 
although  one  of  the  most  enlightened  and  kindly 
principals  in  the  City,  made  no  open  profession  of 
religion.  The  movement  which  was  literally  turning 
his  establishment  upside-down  soon  came  to  ,his  ears, 
although  he  was  unaware  at  the  time  of  the  special 
mark  set  upon  him,  and  contrary  to  general  expecta- 
tion he  took  the  greatest  interest  in  it,  and  went  out  of 
his  way  to  encourage  the  leaders.  Note  has  already 
been  made  of  the  entries  in  George  Williams's  diary, 
in  which  he  writes  of  having  many  earnest  conver- 
sations with  Mr.  Hitchcock,  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that,  as  a  definite  result  of  these  meetings  and 
talks,  the  head  of  the  firm  came  out  strongly  on  the 
side  of  Christ.  In  the  autumn  of  1843  he  expressed 
concern  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  young  men 
in  his  employ,  and  provided  a  chaplain  to  conduct 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  103 

morning  worship.  After  many  months  of  constant 
prayer  on  his  behalf  the  little  band  was  rewarded 
by  the  announcement  that  he  had  accepted  the 
presidency  of  their  Young  Men's  Missionary  Society, 
and  would  support  it  with  his  presence  and  his  purse. 
On  November  1,  1843,  at  a  special  meeting  con- 
vened and  held  in  the  cloak-room,  they  presented  a 
Bible,  for  which  £20  had  been  collected,  to  Mr.  Hitch- 
cock  as  an  expression  of  their  gratitude  to  him  for 
the  interest  he  had  shown  in  Christian  work  among 
his  employees.  As  showing  how  whole-heartedly  he 
entered  into  the  work  and  how  seriously  he  regarded 
his  responsibilities  as  an  employer,  the  following  ex- 
tract from  a  letter  engaging  an  assistant  may  be 
quoted.  Writing  early  in  1843,  he  says :  "  I  conclude 
from  your  letters  that  your  earnest  desire  is  to  live 
to  God,  and  this  moves  me  to  engage  you.  Be  much 
in  prayer,  then,  that  God  may  make  you  useful  in 
my  establishment.  Come  in  a  spirit  of  prayer  and 
God  will  bless  you." 

George  Williams  and  the  two  or  three  who  had 
stood  almost  alone  in  1841,  found  themselves  in  1843 
the  respected  leaders  of  a  movement  that  had  affected 
the  whole  house  from  the  head  of  the  firm  to  the 
youngest  apprentice.  A  Mutual  Improvement  Society 
and  a  Young  Men's  Missionary  Society,  with  fre- 
quent Bible  classes  and  prayer  meetings,  were  visible 
signs  of  an  altered  condition  of  things. 

Much  of  George  Williams's  spare  time  was  devoted 


104  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

to  obtaining  subscriptions  for  the  Missionary  Society, 
for,  while  he  was  always  himself  a  generous  giver, 
he  was  also  from  the  beginning  a  very  successful 
"  beggar  "  —  and  that,  too,  he  continued  to  the  end. 
In  June,  1843,  he  had  collected  in  the  house  over 
£8,  and  later  on  the  sum  was  raised  to  more  than 
£20  a  year,  and  this  at  a  time  when  salaries  were 
certainly  not  on  too  generous  a  scale.  The  missionary 
meeting  in  the  house,  at  which,  in  1843,  about  seventy 
were  present,  has  been  held  each  year  in  Messrs. 
Hitchcock,  Williams  &  Co.'s  establishment  without  a 
break  to  the  present  day.  George  Williams  was  a 
regular  attendant  at  the  meetings  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society  in  Exeter  Hall,  and  his  visit  to 
the  John  Williams  missionary  ship  made  a  deep  im- 
pression upon  him.  It  was  at  this  period  that  he  was 
much  inclined  to  offer  himself  for  work  in  the  mission 
field.  His  friend,  Mr.  Cutting,  who  kept  open  house 
for  young  men  from  the  business  establishments  of 
the  City,  and  whose  wife  had  a  Sunday  School  at 
which  George  Williams  often  taught,  dissuaded  him, 
however,  by  pointing  out  the  vaster  field  of  work  that 
lay  before  him  as  a  business  man.  Mr.  Cutting 
never  figured  prominently  in  the  work  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  and  his  name  has  never 
been  honoured  at  its  gatherings.  Let  this,  then,  be 
a  tribute  to  his  wisdom,  to  his  faith.  He  builded 
better  than  he  knew.  It  was  after  this  interview  that 
George  Williams  came  away  from  a  Home  Missionary 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  105 

Meeting  in  1843  "  convinced  of  our  duty  to  make 
more  strenuous  efforts  to  spread  the  Gospel  among 
our  own  countrymen,"  and  although  he  was  always 
ready  to  support  every  effort  put  forth  on  behalf  of 
foreign  missionary  enterprise,  particularly  in  later 
years  in  connection  with  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  it  was  the  home  mission  field  that  from 
this  time  held  the  first  place  in  his  heart.  George 
Williams's  religion  began  in  his  own  home,  in  his 
own  business  circle,  and  ended  —  in  infinity. 

On  May  24,  1843,  a  missionary  meeting  was  held 
in  No.  1  sitting-room,  to  consider  whether  or  not  it 
was  the  duty  of  these  young  men  to  give  up  half  of 
the  amount  they  collected  to  home  missions  and  half 
to  foreign  missions.  The  result  was  delightfully 
characteristic  of  the  spirit  of  these  early  days.  Mr. 
Valentine  —  "  My  friend  Val,"  as  George  Williams 
called  him,  an  ardent  co-worker  in  the  beginning,  as 
in  the  years  that  followed  —  stated  that  he  had  been 
giving  twopence  a  week  to  the  Missionary  Society, 
and  would  hereafter  give  fourpence.  This  example 
fired  the  others,  so  that  on  the  next  Saturday  night 
George  Williams  collected  10s.  5d.,  being,  as  he  says, 
"  much  larger  than  anything  previous."  It  is  in- 
teresting to  note  that  one  of  the  speakers  at  the 
meeting  urged,  as  a  special  reason  for  supporting 
home  missions,  the  hurtful  effects  of  Puseyism. 

Up  to  this  time  the  work  had  been  confined  entirely 
to  the  one  establishment.  In  their  own  place  of  busi- 


106  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

ness  its  success  was  assured.  Could  it  be  spread  out- 
side with  equally  encouraging  results?  That  was  the 
question  that  throbbed  within  the  heart  of  George 
Williams.  "  If,"  said  he,  "  God  has  so  blessed  us  in 
this  house,  why  should  He  not  give  such  a  blessing  in 
every  house  in  London  ?  The  answer  to  that  question 
was  the  formation  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association. 

The  actual  birthplace  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  was  an  upper  room,  the  bedroom 
where  the  young  men  gathered  together  for  prayer 
and  Bible  reading.  It  was  in  George  Williams's  own 
bedroom  that  the  first  meeting  was  held.  But  the 
scheme  which  had  been  forming  in  vague  outline  in 
his  mind  first  took  definite  shape  in  a  spot  as  elo- 
quent of  the  greatness  of  the  need  as  was  the  upper 
room  of  the  means  of  grace  which  would  meet  such 
need. 

It  was  upon  old  Blackfriars  Bridge  that  the  words 
were  spoken  which  called  the  Young*  Men's  Christian 
Association  into  being.  No  more  appropriate  scene 
could  have  been  chosen,  for,  in  the  year  1844,  even 
more  than  to-day,  Blackfriars  Bridge  focussed  the 
life  and  struggle  of  the  City.  In  the  early  hours  of 
every  week-day,  or  again  as  the  warehouses  are 
closed  in  the  evening,  you  may  watch  on  that  bridge 
the  tragic  panorama  of  anxiety  and  care  that  is 
the  life  of  London.  Men  who,  during  the  hours  of 
business,  keep  a  brave  front  and  a  stiff  upper  lip  tq 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  107 

the  world,  for  the  City  has  no  use  for  cowards  and 
weaklings,  relax  the  tension  when  outside  the  office, 
and  you  may  read  on  many  faces  the  story  of  weari- 
ness and  struggle  and  pain  and  sometimes  of  despair. 
On  Blackfriars  Bridge  you  may  see  the  cruel  after- 
math of  the  day's  battle.  I  confess  that  the  sight 
moves  me  as  deeply  as  any  display  of  ragged  poverty 
or  sweated  industries,  George  Williams  was  one  of 
the  first  to  realise  that  there  is  a  distinct  class,  a  great 
race  of  workers,  untouched  by  any  agency  of  philan- 
thropy, whose  need  is  as  deep  as  any  in  London. 
These  men  of  the  middle  class,  of  shop  and  ware- 
house, of  stool  and  counter,  make  no  loud  appeal 
for  help,  scorn  to  advertise  their  wrongs,  suffer 
silently  and  in  loneliness,  for  such  is  the  way  of 
"  respectability." 

But  George  Williams  was  one  of  them,  one  with 
them.  And  he  knew. 

It  was  as  he  crossed  Blackfriars  Bridge  on  his  way 
from  St.  Paul's  Churchyard  to  Surrey  Chapel  that 
George  Williams  first  mentioned  to  another  his  desire 
to  extend  the  benefits  of  the  Young  Men's  Society 
at  Mr.  Hitchcock's  establishment  to  every  drapery 
establishment  throughout  London.  His  confidant  was 
Edward  Beaumont,  who  had  joined  the  place  of 
business  in  the  early  spring  of  1843,  and  been  con- 
verted as  a  result  of  the  extraordinary  efforts  already 
described.  In  a  letter  to  Sir  George  Williams  writ- 
ten some  years  ago  he  recalled  the  incident :  — 


108  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

"  On  one  Sunday  evening  in  the  latter  end  of  May,  1 844, 
you  accompanied  me  to  Surrey  Chapel.  After  walking  a 
few  minutes  in  silence  you  said,  pressing  my  arm  and 
addressing  me  familiarly,  as  you  were  in  the  habit  of 
doing,  '  Teddy,  are  you  prepared  to  make  a  sacrifice  for 
Christ  ?  '  I  replied,  '  If  called  upon  to  do  so,  I  hope  and 
trust  I  can.'  You  then  told  me  that  you  had  been  deeply 
impressed  with  the  importance  of  introducing  religious 
services,  such  as  we  enjoyed,  into  every  large  establish- 
ment in  London,  and  that  you  thought  that  if  a  few 
earnest,  devoted,  and  self-denying  men  could  be  found  to 
unite  themselves  together  for  this  purpose,  that  with 
earnest  prayer  God  would  smile  upon  the  effort,  and  much 
good  might  be  done.  I  need  not  say  that  I  heartily  con- 
curred, and  said  that  I  wrould  gladly  do  what  I  could  to 
assist  you.  You  told  me  at  the  same  time  that  I  was  the 
only  person  to  whom  you  had  mentioned  it. 

"  This  conversation  was  resumed  the  following  week, 
and  collecting  together  three  or  four,  or  it  may  be  more, 
of  the  religious  young  men  of  the  establishment,  the 
matter  was  gone  more  fully  into,  and,  if  I  mistake  not, 
this  took  place  one  evening  after  our  prayer  meeting  and 
Bible  class,  when  a  few  of  the  religious  young  men  re- 
mained behind  for  conversation. 

"  We  then  resolved  to  call  a  meeting  of  all  the  religious 
young  men  of  the  establishment,  to  meet  on  Thursday, 
June  6,  1 844,  to  consider  the  importance  and  practicability 
of  establishing  such  an  association." 

It  should  be  said  here  that  the  movement  begun 
at  the  St.  Paul's  Churchyard  house  had  already 
spread  to  another  quarter.  Mr.  Hitchcock,  who  had 
become  so  intimately  interested  in  the  young  men's 
meetings,  one  day  described  with  enthusiasm  the  work 
going  on  in  his  establishment  to  his  friend,  Mr. 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  109 

W.  D.  Owen,  the  principal  of  a  large  drapery  business 
in  the  West  End.  Mr.  Owen  mentioned  the  matter 
to  his  principal  assistant,  Mr.  James  Smith,  and  both 
of  them  being  earnest  Christians,  they  commenced 
similar  meetings  amongst  their  own  young  men. 

It  would  seem  that  the  idea  of  further  extending 
the  movement  occurred  to  George  Williams  and  James 
Smith  almost  at  the  same  time,  for  on  May  31,  1844, 
the  latter  wrote  to  the  former :  — 

"  I  have  been  truly  rejoiced  to  hear  that  the  Lord  is 
doing  a  great  work  in  your  house,  and  I  hope  that  the 
leaven  thus  set  will  go  on  increasing  abundantly.  I  am 
engaged  here  in  the  same  work,  but  stand  almost  alone, 
and  from  what  I  have  heard  am  induced  to  say,  (  Come 
over  and  help  us.'  We  have  a  prayer  meeting  this  even- 
ing at  half-past  eight  o'clock.  Mr.  Branch,  a  City  mis- 
sionary, will  be  with  us.  Will  you  favour  us  with  your 
company,  and  if  you  can  bring  a  praying  brother  with  you, 
do.  If  you  could,  by  any  possibility,  be  here  at  eight 
o'clock,  I  should  be  glad,  as  I  want  to  advise  with  you  on 
another  subject  in  reference  to  our  trade,  viz.,  whether  any- 
thing can  be  done  in  other  houses." 

By  the  time  George  Williams  received  this  letter, 
he  had  already  explained  his  idea  at  the  informal 
meeting  mentioned  by  Edward  Beaumont,  and  accord- 
ingly James  Smith  was  invited  to  be  present  at  the 
now  historical  meeting  of  June  6,  1844.  This  was  \ 
held  in  "  the  little  upper  room "  in  which  George 
Williams  slept,  and  there  and  then  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  was  founded. 


110  SIR   GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

This  memorable  gathering  consisted  of  twelve 
young  men,  all  of  whom  took  an  active  part  in  build- 
ing up  the  Association,  many  of  them  continuing  to 
support  it  heartily  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  The 
twelve  whose  names  surely  deserve  to  be  written  in 
letters  of  gold  wherever  young  men  congregate,  were 
George  Williams,  C.  W.  Smith,  Norton  Smith, 
Edward  Valentine,  Edward  Beaumont,  M.  Glasson, 
William  Creese,  Francis  John  Cockett,  E.  Rogers, 
John  Harvey,  John  C.  Symons,  with  James  Smith 
from  Mr.  William  Owen's  establishment.  These 
formed  the  first  committee,  electing  as  their  officers, 
James  Smith,  Chairman  ;  Edward  Valentine,  Treas- 
urer; with  John  C.  Symons  and  William  Creese  as 
Secretaries. 

With  the  exception  of  James  Smith,  all  were  mem- 
bers of  Mr.  Hitchcock's  establishment,  while  more  than 
half  of  them  owed  their  conversion  to  the  revival 
initiated  by  George  Williams,  to  his  personal  efforts 
and  example. 

It  is  entirely  in  accordance  with  the  modesty  of  the 
man  that  George  Williams's  own  diary  contains  no 
actual  reference  to  this  gathering,  and  that  at  this 
very  period  he  was  much  troubled  by  his  "  ingratitude 
and  want  of  love  to  God."  One  would  have  imagined 
this  to  be  a  time  of  great  uplifting,  but  how  much 
more  attractive  it  is  to  find  that  within  two  days  of 
the  successful  formation  of  the  Society,  he  is  praying 
that  God  may  help  him  to  tear  up  the  fallow  ground 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  111 

of  his  own  heart  and  summing  up  his  soul's  indebted- 
ness to  grace.  He  writes  of  his  want  of  love  to  God, 
of  how  he  has  listened  to  self-indulgence  rather  than 
to  God's  voice,  of  how,  when  there  has  been  a  battle 
between  the  man  of  sin  and  the  voice  of  God,  the  man 
of  sin  has  often  gained  the  ascendancy.  He  bemoans, 
too,  his  neglect  of  the  Bible,  the  many  hours  spent 
in  bed,  "  which  ought  to  have  been  given  up  to  read- 
ing and  studying  God's  word."  He  speaks  of  his 
unbelief,  of  the  times  he  has  prayed  for  individuals 
and  not  expected  a  blessing  to  descend  —  even  of  his 
neglect  of  prayer,  and  a  want  of  seriousness.  "  What 
indifference,"  he  exclaims,  "  in  His  presence !  Shame, 
shame !  I  have  been  a  member  of  a  Christian  Church 
for  six  and  a  half  years,  and  what  little  good  have 
I  done?  How  many  days  have  passed  away  when 
no  apparent  word  has  been  said  for  God?  How 
often  have  I  been  more  inclined  to  scold  the  ungodly 
rather  than  to  feel  for  them  and  weep  over  them  and 
plead  for  them?  " 

No  detailed  account  exists  of  this  first  meeting. 
We  know  that  a  sum  of  thirteen  shillings  was  col- 
lected towards  immediate  expenses,  that  it  was 
arranged  that  another  meeting  should  be  held  on 
June  13th.  Failing  other  records  the  minutes  may  be 
said  to  exist  in  the  following  entry  in  the  diary  of 
George  Williams's  friend,  Edward  Valentine:  — 

"Thursday,  June  6,  1844,  met  in  G.  Williams's  room 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  society,  the  object  of  which 


112  SIR   GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

is  to  influence  religious  young  men  to  spread  the 
Redeemer's  Kingdom  amongst  those  by  whom  they  are 
surrounded.  Mr.  Smith,  of  Coram  Street,  President ;  Self, 
Treasurer,  pro  tern, ;  Creese  and  Symons,  Secretaries.  Com- 
mittee, those  there  present  belonging  to  us." 

A  second  meeting  at  which  twenty  were  present  was 
duly  held  "  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  into  effect 
the  system  of  introducing  religious  services  into  dra- 
pery establishments  throughout  the  Metropolis,"  and 
thus  was  started  a  series  of  weekly  gatherings 
held  regularly  throughout  the  early  days  of  the 
Association. 

It  was  felt  that  in  view  of  the  proposed  extension 
of  the  work  to  other  business  houses,  it  would  be  de- 
sirable to  hold  the  meetings  on  some  more  neutral 
ground  than  the  first  committee  room,  George  Wil- 
liams's  bedroom,  and  the  increase  in  numbers  also 
made  a  move  necessary.  A  room  which  held  about 
twenty  was  accordingly  engaged  at  St.  Martin's 
Coffee  House,  in  a  court  on  the  south  side  of  Lud- 
gate  Hill,  at  half  a  crown  a  week. 

This  was  the  Association's  first  outlay  for  rent. 
To-day  it  owns  property  valued  at  many  millions 
in  all  parts  of  the  civilised  world. 

One  of  the  first  steps  taken  by  the  Committee  in 
carrying  out  their  programme  was  the  issue  of  a 
carefully  drafted  circular  to  most  of  the  large 
establishments  in  London,  especially  those  in  the 
drapery  trade,  and  it  was  in  this  coffee-house  that 


WILLIAM  CREESE  JOHN  C.  SYMONDS 

The  first  Secretaries  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 


EDWARD  VALENTINE  EDWARD  BEAUMONT 

"  My  friend  Val,"  First  Treasurer  To  whom  the  idea  of  the  Association  was 
of  the  Association  first  mentioned  by  George  Williams 


THE   UPPER   ROOM  113 

the  important  document  was  discussed  and  finally 
composed. 

The  cost  of  printing  this  letter  caused  some  hesita- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  Committee,  for  it  must  be 
remembered  that  the  members  were  young  drapers' 
assistants,  earning  for  the  most  part  very  small 
salaries,  while  definite  promises  of  outside  support 
were  not  yet  forthcoming.  But  while  they  were  dis- 
cussing its  advisability,  George  Williams  brought  his 
closed  fist  with  a  crash  on  the  table,  and  exclaimed, 
"  If  this  is  of  God,  the  money  will  come !  "  His  words 
carried  the  day,  and  one  of  the  most  critical  moments 
in  the  history  of  the  Association  was  passed. 

This  circular  was  sent  out  in  July,  1844,  dated 
from  72,  St.  Paul's  Churchyard,  and  signed  by  the 
two  secretaries.  As  the  original  manifesto  of  a  move- 
ment that  has  now  become  world-wide,  it  is  of  special 
interest  and  importance  and  may  be  given  in  full :  — 

"  DEAR  FRIENDS,  —  Suffer  us  to  bring  before  your  notice 
some  important  considerations,  to  which,  for  some  time, 
our  minds  have  been  directed,  and  which  intimately  con- 
cern the  eternal  welfare  of  a  large  class  of  our  fellow 
mortals. 

"  We  have  looked  with  deep  concern  and  anxiety  upon 
the  almost  totally  neglected  spiritual  condition  of  the 
mass  of  young  men  engaged  in  the  pursuits  of  business, 
especially  those  connected  with  our  trade,  and  feel  de- 
sirous, by  the  assistance  of  God,  to  make  some  effort  in 
order  to  improve  it ;  and  as  we  regard  it  to  be  a  sacred 
duty,  binding  upon  every  child  of  God,  to  use  all  the 
means  in  his  power,  and  to  direct  all  his  energies,  in  and 

8 


114  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

out  of  season,  towards  the  promotion  of  the  Saviour's 
Kingdom  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  we  earnestly  solicit 
your  assistance  in  the  great  and  important  undertaking 
we  now  lay  before  you. 

"  We  have  seriously  and  carefully  consulted  as  to  the 
best  means  by  which  to  accomplish  so  great  a  work  ;  and 
we  have  come  to  the  decision  —  we  trust  by  the  direction 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  —  that  there  is  nothing  so  calculated  to 
discountenance  immorality  and  vice,  and  to  promote  a 
spirit  of  serious  inquiry  among  the  class  in  which  our  lot 
is  cast,  as  the  introduction  of  some  religious  service  among 
them,  which  they  shall  be  invited  to  attend ;  and  as  of  the 
various  means  in  use  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  among  the 
Church  and  people  of  God,  prayer  has  been  of  all  others 
the  most  honoured,  we  would  suggest  that  the  service 
thus  introduced  should  largely,  if  not  entirely,  consist  of 
prayer. 

"  We  shall  not  be  surprised  if  such  a  proposal  as  this  be 
reckoned  by  some  a  Utopian  scheme.  And  we  expect 
that  from  many  who  name  the  name  of  Christ  we  shall 
meet  with  considerable  opposition.  We  are  likewise 
aware  of  the  numerous  difficulties  which  in  many  places 
will  present  themselves,  and  the  obloquy  and  contempt 
which  such  a  procedure  will  bring  down  upon  the  pro- 
moters and  supporters  of  such  an  attempt,  from  the  irre- 
ligious members  of  some  of  our  large  establishments.  We 
have  calculated  upon  all  these  difficulties  and  shall  not  be 
surprised  or  discouraged  if  we  behold  them  increase,  but 
we  hope  that  these  things,  instead  of  discouraging  us  in 
the  great  work  we  have  commenced,  will  only  induce  us  to 
increase  and  redouble  our  efforts.  Shall  it  be  said  that 
the  followers  of  the  Lamb  are  afraid  to  incur  the  frown 
and  censure  of  the  world  ?  Shall  it  be  said  that  the  ridi- 
cule of  the  world  prevented  the  use  of  the  means  such  as 
those  to  which  we  have  adverted  ?  Shall  persecution  — 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  115 

for  we  shall  doubtless  be  called  upon  to  suffer  it  —  keep 
us  back  from  attempting  the  salvation  of  souls  ?  We 
believe  that  every  true  Christian  will  answer  —  '  No.' 

"A  society  is  now  formed,  the  object  of  which  is  the 
promotion  of  the  spiritual  welfare  of  young  men  engaged 
in  the  drapery  and  other  trades,  by  the  introduction  of 
religious  services  among  them.  We  earnestly  entreat 
your  Christian  co-operation  in  this  great  work  ;  and  in 
order  to  lay  before  you  fully  the  plans  and  views  of  the 
society  on  whose  behalf  we  address  you,  a  deputation  from 
the  Committee,  prepared  to  give  you  all  the  requisite 
information,  will  wait  upon  you  at  your  earliest  con- 
venience, when  we  hope  to  hear  of  your  hearty  concur- 
rence in  our  plans.  We  shall  feel  obliged  by  your 
informing  us,  as  early  as  you  can,  the  time  and  place  at 
which  the  deputation  shall  wait  upon  you. 

"  (Signed) 

"  JOHN  SYMONS, 
"  WILLIAM  CREESE." 

Before  the  issue  of  the  circular  news  of  the  pro- 
posed Association  had  been  spread  by  letter,  so  that 
when  a  meeting  of  what  had  been  called,  for  want  of 
a  better  name,  The  Drapers'  Evangelical  Association 
was  held  at  St.  Martin's  Coffee  House  on  June  24th, 
George  Williams,  who  presided,  was  able  to  report 
that  an  encouraging  response  had  already  been  re- 
ceived from  several  establishments,  while  a  sum  of 
thirty  shillings  was  paid  to  the  Treasurer  towards 
expenses. 

The  fifth  meeting  on  July  4th  was  largely  given 
up  to  the  discussion  of  a  suitable  name  for  the  society, 


116  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

C.  W.  Smith,  who  had  been  requested  by  the  Committee 
to  find  a  name,  having  suggested  three :  — 

The  Berean  Association.1 

The  Christian  Young  Men's  Society. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

On  July  12th  George  Williams's  diary  contains  the 
entry  "  Our  Young  Men's  Religious  Association  get- 
ting on  nicely,"  and  it  is  evident  that  the  movement 
was  rapidly  spreading  among  other  houses,  for  those 
who  took  the  chair  at  the  four  meetings  in  July  were 
all  from  outside  drapery  establishments.  It  should 
be  noted  that  until  then  George  Williams  had  presided 
at  nearly  all  the  meetings.  Edward  Valentine's  diary 
makes  it  clear  that  Mr.  Smith,  of  Great  Coram  Street, 
was  absent  from  many  of  these  earlier  gatherings, 
and  that  George  Williams,  by  general  consent,  took 
the  chair  in  his  stead.  From  the  first  there  appears 
to  have  been  no  doubt  as  to  his  actual  initiation  and 
leadership  of  the  movement,  although  as  an  obscure 
shop  assistant  he  naturally  gave  way  to  better  known 
and  more  influential  men  when  they  were  present.  It 
was  George  Williams  who  personally  invited  each  of 
the  twelve  to  the  first  meeting,  and  it  was  in  George 
Williams's  bedroom  that  that  first  meeting  was  held. 
This  should  be  clearly  stated,  for  some  misunderstand- 
ing has  arisen  due  to  the  prominence  given  in  early 

1  In  reference  to  the  men  of  Berea  (Acts  xvii.  11  and  12),  who 
"  received  the  Word  with  all  readiness  of  mind,  and  searched  the 
Scriptures  daily,  whether  these  things  were  so."  A  sect  of  this 
name  was  founded  in  Scotland  in  1773  by  the  Rev.  John  Barclay. 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  117 

reports  to  men  who  held  higher  positions  in  the  busi- 
ness world  and  accordingly  took  precedence  at  the 
meetings  they  attended. 

In  a  few  weeks  the  movement  had  prospered  to  such 
an  extent  that  another  move  became  necessary,  and 
in  October  George  Williams  and  Edward  Beaumont 
were  deputed  to  obtain  more  convenient  premises. 
After  some  little  trouble,  for  most  of  the  possible 
meeting-places  were  not  available  for  gatherings  on 
temperance  lines,  a  large  room  was  secured  at  Radley's 
Hotel,  in  Bridge  Street,  Blackfriars,  opposite  the 
site  of  the  present  Ludgate  Hill  Station.  The  cost 
of  this  room  was  seven  shillings  and  sixpence  a  week, 
an  increased  expenditure  which  seemed  to  many 
almost  too  daring  a  venture.  It  was  let  to  the  society 
on  the  strict  condition  that  they  did  not  sing,  a  restric- 
tion which  probably  weighed  heavily  on  the  young 
enthusiasts.  Despite  this  drawback  Radley's  Hotel 
became  the  headquarters  of  the  Association  for  the 
next  five  years,  and  until  it  was  demolished  an  annual 
breakfast  was  given  there  by  George  Williams  so 
that  the  members  of  the  Association  might  fitly  com- 
memorate its  humble  beginnings  and  give  thanks  for 
its  wonderful  extension. 

The  first  home  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation was  the  coffee-house  and  the  tavern,  placed 
amid  surroundings  which  suggested  to  all  the  too 
"  free-and-easy "  entertainments  with  which  young 
men  beguiled  their  spare  hours.  In  1844  the  only 


118  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

accommodation  for  such  meetings  as  these  was  to  be 
found  in  the  tavern,  a  state  of  things  which  the 
Association  with  its  splendid  buildings,  its  institutes, 
its  club  and  class-rooms,  has  done  so  much  to  remedy. 

A  word  may  in  this  place  be  said  of  the  societies 
for  young  men  started  in  1824  by  the  revered  David 
Nasmith,  the  founder  of  the  London  City  Mission, 
which  some  have  confused  with  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  while  one  or  two  misinformed 
persons  have  gone  so  far  as  to  state  that  George 
Williams's  work  was  in  reality  only  an  imitation  of 
that  started  by  David  Nasmith  in  Glasgow.  Such 
assertions  have  from  time  to  time  been  brought  into 
prominence,  and  as  they  have  caused  some  pain  to 
the  friends  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
it  is  as  well  that  they  should  be  answered  definitely 
once  for  all. 

It  has  never  been  suggested  that  there  was  any- 
thing original  in  the  scheme  for  a  society  of  Christian 
young  men.  Such  associations  date  from  about  the 
year  1678,  when,  according  to  the  account  given  by 
the  "  pious  "  Robert  Nelson,  the  eighteenth-century 
precursor  of  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  a  few  young 
men  belonging  to  the  middle  station  of  life  began  to 
feel  their  need  of  spiritual  intercourse  and  of  mutual 
encouragement  in  the  practices  of  piety.  It  is  of 
peculiar  interest  to  note  that  these  societies  had  to 
contend  with  precisely  the  same  "  prejudice  and  sus- 
picion "  which  beset  the  early  path  of  the  Young 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  119 

Men's  Christian  Association.  Their  promoters  were 
charged  by  men  of  "  duller  sensibility  in  religion  " 
with  setting  up  a  Church  within  a  Church,  with 
using  their  associations  for  party  purposes,  and  with 
forming  "  sects  and  schisms  " ;  but  in  A  Companion 
for  the  Festivals  and  Fasts  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, Robert  Nelson  defends  them  against  such  accu- 
sations, and  writes  of  them  as  doing  much  to  "  revive 
that  true  spirit  of  Christianity  which  was  so  much 
the  glory  of  the  primitive  times."  These  particular 
societies  came  to  a  melancholy  end  during  the  decay 
of  religion  under  the  Georges,  and  at  one  of  their 
last  annual  meetings  at  Bow  Church  in  1738  a  special 
sermon  was  addressed  to  the  members  warning  them 
against  being  led  astray  by  the  irregularities  of 
Whitefield.  But  others  of  a  different  character  took 
their  place,  and  among  them  Whitefield  and  Wesley 
found  many  of  their  most  earnest  fellow-workers. 

And,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  none  of  the 
twelve  first  members  was  acquainted  with  the  societies 
established  by  David  Nasmith.  In  the  year  1839 
David  Nasmith  had  stated  that  he  had  resolved  to 
start  no  more  of  his  young  men's  societies,  and  had 
predicted  the  speedy  termination  of  those  in  existence. 
He  had  organised  them  on  a  broad  basis  that  "  he 
might  enclose  within  the  fold  the  youth  of  all  condi- 
tions and  of  every  phase  of  faith,"  believing  that  the 
"  association  even  of  the  worldly-minded  and  unbe- 
lieving with  the  earnest  few  would  be  beneficial,"  but 


120  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

with  sorrow  he  was  forced  to  admit  that  the  work 
had  been  marred  by  the  disorders  which  had  arisen 
among  the  members,  by  "  the  unseemly  violence  of 
opinion,  the  exhibition  of  un-Christian  temper,  and 
the  alarming  influence  of  improper  persons  at  the 
meetings,"  so  that  he  much  feared  for  "  the  sta- 
bility of  even  good  young  men  under  such  trying 
circumstances." 

That  these  Nasmith  Societies  had  no  connection, 
and  indeed  little  in  common  with  the  Association 
started  in  the  upper  room  in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard, 
can  be  abundantly  proved  from  their  official  organ, 
for  in  the  Young  Men's  Magazine  and  Monthly 
Record  for  January,  1845,  there  is  a  long  extract 
from  the  first  report  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  which  is  commended  to  the  serious  con- 
sideration of  its  readers.  In  the  April  issue  it  is 
distinctly  stated  that  "  beyond  what  we  borrowed 
from  that  report  we  were  then  unacquainted  with  the 
plans  and  views  of  the  Association,"  and  that  now, 
having  paid  some  attention  to  its  proceedings,  "  we 
should  be  failing  in  our  duty  did  we  not  give  it  our 
cordial  support,  and  use  whatever  influence  we  may 
possess  towards  attaining  its  all-important  object," 
an  object  it  should  be  noted  which  the  writer  clearly 
understands  to  be  different  from  that  of  the  Young 
Men's  Societies  which  he  is  addressing.  He  goes  on 
to  lament,  indeed,  that  up  to  that  time  "  no  adequate 
effort "  had  been  made  towards  the  improvement  of 


THE    UPPER    ROOM  121 

the  spiritual  condition  of  young  men,  that  the  best 
attempts  hitherto  made  had  met  with  but  little  suc- 
cess. Finally,  he  promises  to  keep  the  readers  of  the 
magazine  "  acquainted  with  the  progress  of  an  Asso- 
ciation which  has  entered  upon  a  field  of  more  than 
ordinary  promise." 

At  this  date  the  magazine  contains  particulars  of 
some  twenty-five  meetings  of  the  Young  Men's  So- 
cieties to  be  held  in  London  during  the  month,  but 
when  it  is  noted  that  according  to  the  rules  laid  down 
in  the  official  list  at  the  end  of  the  paper  "  the  society 
shall  consist  of  men  of  good  moral  character,  not 
professing  opinions  subversive  of  evangelical  reli- 
gion," and  that  the  chief  work  at  the  meetings  is  the 
reading  of  essays,  it  will  be  clear  to  all  that  these 
societies,  whatever  the  original  intention  of  David 
Nasmith,  were  little  differentiated  from  the  multitude 
of  Mutual  Improvement  Societies  which  abounded  at 
that  time,  and  had  little  but  the  name  in  common  with 
the  definite  religious  association  founded  by  George 
Williams. 


THE    EARLY    DAYS    OF    THE 

YOUNG  MEN'S   CHRISTIAN 

ASSOCIATION 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   EARLY    DAYS   OF   THE   YOUNG   MEN'S 
CHRISTIAN   ASSOCIATION 

IT  has  been  well  said  that  the  three  great  factors 
which  combined  in  the  genesis  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  were:  Personal  contact,  imited 
prayer,  and  the  study  of  the  Bible.  From  the  single 
association  in  the  single  house  of  business,  there  grew 
an  association  of  associations  as  the  young  men  of 
the  separate  houses  came  together  in  a  common  bond 
of  fellowship  and  union,  co-operating  to  widen  and 
further  their  interests  and  influence. 

The  records  of  the  early  work  of  the  Association 
are  full  of  encouraging  reports  of  the  way  in  which, 
as  the  result  of  the  personal  contact  of  each  of  the 
members  of  the  first  Committee,  this  work  was  spread- 
ing from  young  man  to  young  man  and  from  busi- 
ness to  business.  George  Williams  himself  was  one  of 
the  most  assiduous  visitors  to  other  establishments. 
Naturally,  he  met  with  many  rebuffs,  even  from  those 
interested  in  matters  of  religion,  for  while  a  number 
of  the  young  men  in  the  drapery  establishments  were 
willing  enough  to  join  in  the  house  prayer  meetings 


126  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

and  Bible  classes,  many  were  reluctant  to  identify 
themselves  with  anything  in  the  form  of  a  public 
religious  association. 

As  one  writer,  reviewing  the  history  of  the  work, 
remarks,  the  causes  for  this  reluctance  were  obvious. 
These  young  men  had  been  brought  up  in  different 
religious  persuasions,  some  of  them  in  the  Church  of 
England,  many  in  various  Nonconformist  commu- 
nions, and  it  was  not  easy,  even  in  so  broad  a  move- 
ment as  that  which  George  Williams  originated,  to 
induce  Church  and  Chapel  to  shake  hands,  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  the  whole  plan  of  the  organisation, 
even  to  its  name,  was  designed  to  meet  such  a  diffi- 
culty. Moreover,  there  was  a  certain  prejudice  on 
the  part  of  the  employers  to  be  overcome,  for  some 
pretended  to  see  in  the  success  of  such  an  association 
of  young  men  a  strengthening  of  the  movement  for 
the  earlier  closing  of  places  of  business,  which  at  that 
time  was  regarded  by  many  with  suspicion.  It  was 
publicly  contended,  indeed,  that  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  was  merely  an  offshoot  of  the 
Metropolitan  Drapers'  Association,  then  in  the  fore- 
front of  the  fight  for  shorter  hours.  It  was  in  meeting 
such  objections  as  these  that  George  Williams's  in- 
variable good  humour,  his  sense  of  fun,  his  quickness 
of  repartee,  stood  him  in  excellent  stead.  From  the 
very  beginning  the  winning  personality  of  this  young 
man  was  one  of  the  great  mainstays  of  the  Associa- 
tion, and  this  it  remained  for  more  than  sixty  years. 


EARLY   DAYS   OF   THE   ASSOCIATION     127 

One  might  find  himself  unable  to  agree  with  George 
Williams's  methods  or  suggestions,  but  there  could 
never  be  the  least  trace  of  bitterness  or  rancour  in 
such  opposition,  for  it  was  only  on  the  rarest  occa- 
sions that  George  Williams  allowed  anything  to  cloud 
the  sunniness  of  his  temper,  and  his  undimmed,  inex- 
haustible enthusiasm  for  what  he  believed,  was,  in 
itself,  the  most  forceful  of  arguments. 

This  personal  contact,  the  corner  stone  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, was  supported  and  strengthened  on  every 
side  by  the  study  of  the  Bible  and  by  united  prayer. 
The  practice  of  singling  out  certain  individuals  for 
peculiar  intercession  was  adopted  by  the  Association 
with  the  same  wonderful  results  as  had  been  obtained 
when  the  two  or  three  had  first  met  together  for 
prayer  in  the  upper  room.  Mr.  Creese  writes :  "  The 
plan  adopted  in  our  house  was  this.  The  number  of 
young  men  thought  to  be  unconverted  was  taken, 
and  these  were  apportioned  among  the  members  of 
the  Association,  averaging  about  five  to  each  of  them. 
No  formal  resolution  was  taken,  but  it  was  felt  by 
every  member  that  a  solemn  engagement  had  been 
entered  into  to  embrace  every  suitable  opportunity 
of  speaking  a  loving  word  to  these  young  men,  of 
praying  earnestly  for  their  conversion,  of  trying  to 
prevail  on  them  to  attend  the  prayer  meetings  and 
Bible  classes,  and  to  accompany  us  to  our  places  of 
worship  on  the  Lord's  Day. 

The  first  months  of  the  Association's  existence  were 


128  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

marked  by  many  signs  of  steady  progress.  Religious 
services  were  established  in  fourteen  other  houses  of 
business,  while  weekly  meetings  were  held  at  Radley's 
Hotel,  "  from  which  gatherings  the  members  of  the 
Association  separated  to  their  various  places  of  busi- 
ness strengthened  and  cheered  by  such  fellowship 
for  the  difficult  task  of  keeping  their  flag  flying  in 
dormitory,  shop,  and  warehouse."  The  members 
were  increasing  constantly,  and  fresh  conversions  were 
announced  at  every  meeting.  At  this  time,  certainly, 
no  attempt  was  made  to  appeal  to  what  is  known  as 
the  popular  taste.  Apart  from  friendly  social  con- 
versation over  tea  and  seed-cake,  which  George  Wil- 
liams always  considered  the  best  preliminary  to  a 
successful  gathering  of  any  kind,  the  meetings  were 
of  a  strictly  "  spiritual  "  nature,  and  none  but  mem- 
bers of  a  Christian  Church  were  admitted  to  fellow- 
ship. That  there  was  nothing  narrowly  sectarian 
about  the  Association  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  of 
the  first  twelve  members  three  were  Episcopalians, 
three  Congregationalists,  three  Baptists,  and  three 
Methodists.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  work 
started  as  an  association  of  Christian  young  men, 
young  men  full,  it  is  true,  of  missionary  zeal,  but 
anxious,  first  of  all,  so  to  strengthen  each  other  by 
this  bond  of  companionship  that  they  might,  by  their 
united  stand,  show  a  bold  front  against  the  forces 
of  evil  which  threatened  to  overcame  the  weaker 
brethren. 


72.  St.  Paul's  Church  Yard. 


Sufler  us  to  bring  before  your  notice"  some  important  considerations;  to  which, 

>r  soim-  time  past,  our  minds  have  been  directed,  and  which  intimately  concern  the  eternal  welfare  of  a 
rge  c!a>*  of  our  fellow  immortals. 

W<-  have  looked  with  deep  concern  and  anxiety  upon  the  almost  totally-neglected  spiritual 
ndition-*?  the  mass  of  idling  mm  endued  in  the  pursuits  of  business,  —  especially  those  connected 
'.tn  our  ON  ii  tiade,—  and  fed  desirous,  by  the  assistance  of  Hod,  to  make  some  effort  in  order  to 
npi.iv.-  it:  ';>!id,  as  M  ,•  regard  it  to  he  a  .sacred  duty,  binding  upon  every  child  of  God,  to  use  all  the 
eans  in  hi.-,  power,  ami  to  dirert  all  his  energies,  in  and  out  of  season,  towards  the  promotion  of  the 


ortant  undertaking  we  now  lay  before  you. 

We  have  seriously  and  carefully  consulted  as  to  the  best  means  by  which  to  accomplish  so 
tt  a  work  ;  and  we  have  come  to  the  decision— we  trust  by  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit— that 
•e  is  nothing  so  calculated  to  discountenance  immorality  and  vice,  and  to  promote  a  spirit  of  serious 
iiiry  among  the  class  in  which  our  lot  is  cast,  as  the  introduction  of  some  religious  service  aiming 


shun 


for  th 


uls,  amon;,-  the  church  and  people  of  God,  prayer  has  been  of  all  others  the  most  honoured,  we 
n--west  that  the  service  thus  introduced  should  largely,  if  not  entirely,  consist  of  prayer. 

\V*e  shall  not  be  at.   all   surprised  if  such  a  proposal   as   this  be  reckoned    b    some 


d  we  expect  that  from  many  who  name  the  name  of  Christ  we  shall  meet  with  con- 
erable  opposition.     We  arc  likewise  aware  of  the  numerous  difficulties  which  in  many  places  will 

;i-nt  thfuisekrs,  and  the  obloquy  and  contempt  which  such  a  course  of  procedure  will  inevitably 
.11;,'  ii  poj,  tin-  promoters  ;m-l  supporters  of  such  an  attempt  from  the  irreligious  members  of  some  cf 
r  l.t;-:;r  Ks'ahliM-.ments.  We  h.nc  calculated  upon  all  these  difficulties,  and  shall  not  be  surprised  or 
.ruin-aged  it  'we  behold  them  increase;  but  we  hope  that  these  things,  instead  of  discouraging  us  in 
the  greaT  work  we  have  commenced,  will  only  induce  us  to  increase  sud  redonblc  our  efforts.  Shall 
he  said  that  the  followers  of  the  Lamb  arc  afraid  to  incur  the  frown  and  censure  of  the  world  '. 
.all  it  be  said  that  the  ridicule  of  the  world  prevented  the  use  of  means  such  as  those  to  which  we  have 
verted?  Shall  persecution  —  for  we  shall  doubtless  be  called  to  suffer  it — keep  us  back  from 
•i-mptin^  the  -salvation  of  souls  ?  We  believe  that  every  true  Christian  will  answer — No  ! 

A  Society  is  now  formed,  the  object  of  which  is,  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual  welfare 

Voting  Men  engaged  in  the  Drapery  and  other  Trades,  by  the  introduction  of  religions  services 
long  them.  We  earnestly  in treat  your  Christian  co-operation  in  this  great  work  ;  and  in  order  fully 
lay  before  you  the  plans  and  views  of  the  Society  on  whose  behalf  we  address  \ou,  ;t  deputation 
im  the  Committee  prepared  to  irivc  vou  all  the  requisite  information,  will  wait  upon  you  at 
ar  earliest  convenience,  when  we  hope  to  hear  of  vour  hearty  concurrence  incur  plans.  We 
all  tVi'l  obliged  hy  your  informing  us  as  oarlv  as  convenient,  the  time  and  place  at  which  the 
nutation  shall  wail  upon  vou. 

Signed  ou  behalf  of  the  CommitUr. 


>-  Secretaries 


A  FACSIMILE  OF  THE  LETTER  ANNOUNCING  THE  FORMATION  OF  THE 
YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 


EARLY   DAYS    OF   THE    ASSOCIATION 

The  Association  was  at  first  self -protective,  a  Chris- 
tian union  against  a  Satanic  tyranny.  As  the  need 
for  this  mutual  protection  grew  less  with  the  years, 
largely  on  account  of  the  growth  of  such  associations, 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  extended  its 
aims  and  plans,  but  the  fundamental  idea  in  George 
Williams's  mind  was  to  introduce  such  a  union  as 
had  been  formed  in  his  own  place  of  business  into  other 
drapery  establishments,  so  that  no  Christian  young 
man  should  feel  alone  and  forsaken,  and  in  his  lone- 
liness and  despair  hold  out  a  flag  of  truce  to  the 
enemy.  From  the  moment  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  was  founded,  from  the  moment  its  name 
meant  something  definite  and  tangible,  that  danger 
of  isolation,  a  real  and  terrible  one  as  George  Wil- 
liams knew  from  his  own  experience,  was  greatly  les- 
sened, and  with  the  years  has  ceased  almost  to  exist. 

In  a  short  time  the  Committee  found  it  expedient 
to  add  to  its  original  plan  by  the  formation  of  Mutual 
Improvement  Societies  and  courses  of  lectures,  and 
later  admitted  as  associates  those  who  had  not  as 
yet  become  members  of  a  Christian  Church.  In  the 
first  two  reports  one  of  the  rules  was  that  the  object 
of  the  Association  should  be  "  the  improvement  of 
the  spiritual  condition  of  young  men«JJ  in  me  third 
report  the  signmcant  words  "  and  mental  culture  " 
are  added.  This  forward  policy  undoubtedly  owed 
much  to  George  Williams  himself,  who  throughout 
the  years  stood  undaunted,  and  at  times  against  con- 

o 


130  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

siderable  opposition,  for  the  broadest  and  most  pro- 
gressive policy,  so  long  as  that  policy  did  not  inter- 
fere with  the  central  idea  of  the  Association.  He 
was  one  of  those  men  who  seem  to  catch  the  spirit 
of  the  coming  days,  in  religious  as  well  as  in  business 
affairs,  one  of  those  rarely  gifted  mortals  who  have 
the  power  to  see  ahead  and  to  prepare  to-day  for 
the  needs  of  the  day  after  to-morrow. 

A  landmark  in  the  early  history  of  the  Association 
was  reached  on  Friday,  November  8,  1844,  when  a 
tea  meeting  was  held  at  Radley's  Hotel,  and  the  first 
report  read.  The  chairman  was  Mr.  W.  D.  Owen, 
whose  name  has  already  been  mentioned  as  one  of 
those  outside  the  business  of  Messrs.  Hitchcock  & 
Rogers  who  gave  cordial  support  to  the  scheme  of  the 
Association  when  it  was  first  suggested  to  him  by 
George  Williams.  At  this  meeting  there  were  present 
161  young  men,  the  majority  of  whom  were  already 
enrolled  as  members,  a  most  encouraging  state  of 
affairs  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  movement  was 
then  only  five  months  old.  The  report  contained  the 
twelve  rules,  which  defined  both  the  aims  of  the  Asso- 
ciation and  the  lines  upon  which  it  was  to  be  continued. 
The  following  may  be  quoted  as  showing  the  scope  of 
the  work  at  this  early  date :  — 

"That  the  object  of  this  Association  be  the  improve- 
ment of  the  spiritual  condition  of  young  men  engaged  in 
the  drapery  and  other  trades,  by  the  introduction  of 
religious  services  among  them." 


EARLY   DAYS   OF   THE    ASSOCIATION     131 

"  That  two  social  tea  meetings  be  held  in  the  year  (the 
time  of  such  meetings  to  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the 
Committee)  at  which  a  report  of  the  society's  proceedings 
shall  be  read." 

"  That  a  general  meeting  be  held  once  a  fortnight  (or 
oftener  if  required)  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  reports 
from  members  of  the  progress  of  the  work  of  God  in 
the  various  establishments,  and  for  such  and  other  pur- 
poses as  the  Committee  shall  see  fit  to  determine  ;  and 
that  all  meetings  shall  be  opened  for  members,  and 
those  friends  whom  they  may  consider  proper  persons  to 
bring,  and  to  those  who  shall  receive  invitations  from  the 
Committee." 

"  That  no  person  shall  be  considered  a  member  of  this 
Association  unless  he  be  a  member  of  a  Christian  Church, 
or  there  be  sufficient  evidence  of  his  being  a  converted 
character." 

"  That  all  persons  desirous  of  becoming  members  shall 
be  proposed  at  a  general  meeting,  and  a  deputation  be 
appointed  to  inquire  into  their  moral  character,  upon 
whose  report  the  Committee  shall  decide  whether  they  be 
eligible  or  not." 

"  That  each  person  be  expected  on  becoming  a  member 
to  pay  the  sum  of  sixpence,  and  to  contribute  sixpence 
quarterly  to  the  general  funds." 

On  the  20th  of  January  of  the  following  year 
George  Williams  notes  in  his  diary  that  a  very  im- 
portant meeting  was  held  in  connection  with  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Asscciation,  at  which  he  and 
other  members  of  a  special  committee  examined  the 
candidates  for  the  secretaryship  of  the  Society.  "  Oh, 
Lord,"  he  writes,  "  direct  us  to  a  man  who  shall  be 
useful  in  Thy  work,  and  be  very  instrumental  in 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

leading  to  Christ  the  young  men  of  London  and  the 
world  in  connection  with  my  trade." 

In  spite  of  the  way  in  which  the  work  was  going 
forward  on  all  sides  and  of  the  wonderful  results 
already  attained,  the  founder  himself  was  at  this 
time  in  a  far  from  happy  frame  of  mind.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  critical  periods  in  his  business  career, 
and  he  felt  the  fierceness  of  the  struggle,  felt  a  sense 
of  disappointment  that  there  was  progress  everywhere 
but  in  his  own  heart.  Oh,  Lord,"  he  writes,  "  revive 
Thy  work  in  my  heart.  The  world  with  its  influence 
has  had  much  claim  upon  me,  and  Satan  has  taken  the 
advantage.  Whilst  the  body  has  been  busy  Satan 
has  suggested  ease  and  indulgence,  which,  alas!  I 
have  given  way  to.  Oh,  Lord,  be  not  angry  for  ever, 
but  come  again  and  revive  Thy  work,  that  Thy  dust 
may  be  useful  and  desirous  of  glorifying  Thee  and 
feel  the  power  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit.  The  deep  spirit 
of  prayer  and  piety  seems  lessening.  Oh,  Lord,  come 
again,  come  now  and  revive  true  piety  in  our  hearts. 
Pour  upon  us  the  power  of  the  spirit  of  prayer. 
How  many  there  are  among  us,  moral  characters, 
almost  converted,  yet  yielding  to  the  world." 

The  second  social  gathering  held  at  Radley's  Hotel 
on  March  6,  1845,  was  evidently  regarded  as  a  most 
important  function,  for  George  Williams  formed  one 
of  a  special  sub-committee  to  invite  the  Hon.  and  Rev. 
Baptist  Noel  to  preside,  and  a  number  of  clergymen 
and  ministers  of  different  denominations  to  attend. 


EARLY   DAYS   OF   THE    ASSOCIATION     133 

About  300  people  in  all  sat  down  to  tea,  and  the 
report  showed  that  the  Association  then  had  160 
members.  Its  fortnightly  meetings  were  steadily  in- 
creasing in  numbers,  and  a  West  End  branch  had 
already  been  opened.  The  outstanding  event  of  the 
year  was  the  employment  of  a  salaried  Secretary  and 
Missionary.  Already  £60  had  been  promised  towards 
the  creation  of  such  an  office ;  to  this  Mr.  George 
Hitchcock  gave  ten  guineas,  Mr.  Owen  two  guineas, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Gurney  one  pound.  The  matter 
was  fully  discussed,  and,  as  a  result  of  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  special  committee,  the  appointment 
of  Mr.  T.  H.  Tarlton  as  first  paid  Secretary  was 
shortly  announced. 

Mr.  Tarlton  was  a  City  missionary  who  first  came 
into  contact  with  George  Williams  when  taking  the 
morning  services  at  Messrs.  Hitchcock  &  Rogers's. 
Hearing  of  the  work  among  the  young  men  of  the 
house,  he  became  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  their 
Association.  When,  after  the  rejection  of  a  candi- 
date who  had  presented  himself  in  answer  to  the  ad- 
vertisement, and  had  been  examined  and  found 
unsuitable,  Mr.  Tarlton  suddenly  offered  himself  for 
the  post,  the  Committee  was  surprised  beyond  meas- 
ure, for  it  was  felt  at  once  that  the  Association  could 
not  afford  to  offer  anything  like  adequate  remuner- 
ation for  his  services.  But  this  young  man  was  pre- 
pared to  make  considerable  sacrifice  if  by  so  doing  he 
could  further  the  work,  and  stated  at  once  that  he 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

was  quite  willing  to  accept  any  payment  the  Com- 
mittee thought  proper.  Thus  it  was  that  from  the 
start  the  most  important  work  of  Organising  and 
Missionary  Secretary  was  undertaken  by  one  who 
was  a  contemporary  and  companion  of  the  founder, 
and  who  understood  and  appreciated  in  the  fullest 
manner  the  aims  and  ambitions  of  the  first  Com- 
mittee. A  forceful  speaker,  a  really  manly  young 
man,  an  enthusiastic  organiser  and  worker,  Mr.  Tarl- 
ton  was  from  this  time  one  of  the  great  forces  in  the 
progress  of  the  Association.  George  Williams  found 
in  him  a  devoted  and  most  loyal  friend,  and  it  was 
through  the  Secretary  that  George  Williams's  influ- 
ence was  persistently  brought  to  bear  upon  all  phases 
of  the  work.  Travelling  together  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  and  for  a  period  living  together  in  London, 
these  two  worked  as  one,  George  Williams  supplying 
most  of  the  ideas,  suggesting  most  of  the  improve- 
ments in  organisation  and  methods,  the  Secretary 
carrying  them  into  effect  by  the  persuasion  of  his 
tact  and  eloquence. 

A  few  days  after  the  announcement  of  Mr.  Tarl- 
ton's  appointment  there  enters  into  George  Williams's 
diary  one  of  the  few  expressions  of  real  exultation. 
"  Go  on,  Thou  mighty  God,"  he  writes.  "  Go  on, 
Thou  Prince  of  Peace,  and  thou,  my  soul,  magnify 
Him  who  has  thus  listened  unto  the  cry  of  His  ser- 
vant. Happy  art  thou,  oh,  my  soul.  Praise  the 
Lord,  oh,  praise  Him,  sing  of  His  great  loving  kind- 


EARLY   DAYS   OF   THE    ASSOCIATION     135 

ness,  exult  in  His  great  name.  Oh,  my  soul,  ask  what 
thou  wilt,  thou  canst  not  be  too  bold." 

In  April  he  writes  to  "  my  dear  old  Brother  Creese  " 
that  he  has  had  a  very  delightful  meeting  with  the 
"  Young  Christians  "  in  his  room,  and  that  they  are 
thinking  of  starting  "  something  like  a  class  meeting 
at  which  they  might  relate  any  particular  trial  or 
temptation  which  beset  them."  He  speaks  of  the 
"hallowed  and  stirring  time"  he  enjoyed  during  a 
recent  visit  to  his  home.  "  Oh,  shout !  "  he  writes, 
"  God  is  at  work.  I  saw  numbers  under  concern  and 
asking  the  way  to  Zion.  Oh,  Creese!  cry  aloud  to 
the  people  where  you  dwell." 

Later  in  the  year  new  offices  for  the  Association 
were  secured  in  Serjeant's  Inn,  Fleet  Street.  This 
enlargement  was  made  possible  by  the  generous  con- 
tributions of  Mr.  Hitchcock.  "  He  was,"  writes 
George  Williams,  "  the  instrument  chosen  by  the  Lord 
for  us.  Oh,  that  he  may  feel  the  blessing  in  his  own 
heart !  "  It  would  seem,  however,  that  things  were 
not  going  altogether  smoothly  in  the  organisation  of 
the  work,  for  George  Williams  notes  in  his  diary  that 
he  has  been  giving  much  anxious  consideration  to  the 
Association,  and  that  he  formed  one  of  those  who  had 
entirely  remodelled  the  Committee. 

At  this  time  he  was  considering  the  possibility  of 
residing  at  Serjeant's  Inn  with  Mr.  Tarlton,  the 
Secretary.  He  writes :  "  If  Thou  wishest  me  to  go 
there,  incline  the  hearts  of  those  who  have  the  arrange- 


136  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

merits.  Only  send  me  not  hence  if  Thy  rich  and 
blessed  Spirit  go  not  with  me.  Oh,  this  city !  Wilt 
Thou  not  bless  these  thousands  of  young  men  and 
make  us  happy  in  God !  " 

What  is  known  as  the  First  Annual  Report  of  the 
Association  was  presented  at  the  next  half-yearly 
tea  meeting  at  Radley's  on  November  6,  1845.  It 
contained  a  list  of  twenty -two  clerical  vice-presidents, 
including  many  of  the  most  distinguished  preachers 
of  the  day.  The  Chairman  of  the  Committee  was 
Mr.  R.  C.  L.  Bevan,  an  honoured  name  which  has 
always  been  connected  with  the  work  of  the  Associ- 
ation. Mr.  George  Hitchcock  was  then  Treasurer, 
and  another  name  on  the  Committee,  which  for  years 
figures  prominently  in  the  reports,  is  that  of  Mr. 
John  Morley.  Mr.  Bevan  was  in  the  chair  at  the 
meeting,  and  gave  an  account  of  his  early  struggles, 
saying,  writes  George  Williams,  that  he  had  tried 
the  world  —  hunting,  shooting,  sporting,  dancing  — 
but  found  these  did  not  yield  either  joy  or  happiness. 
Then  he  had  tried  reading  and  study,  and  found 
even  these  left  a  void.  Now  he  could  bear  his  testi- 
mony that  "  piety  and  holiness  were  the  only  things 
that  could  make  life  all  he  could  wish  for."  Mr. 
Binney  made  one  of  his  straightforward,  hard- 
hitting speeches,  in  which  he  emphasised  the  impor- 
tance of  a  fine  manly  character  that  would  spurn  any 
low,  mean  action,  and  that,  in  view  of  their  profession, 
it  was  of  the  utmost  importance  that  these  young 


EARLY   DAYS   OF   THE    ASSOCIATION 

men  should  be  very  jealous  for  their  characters.  He 
announced  that  one  of  the  members  of  the  Asso- 
ciation had  decided  to  study  for  the  ministry,  but, 
very  characteristically,  he  did  not  encourage  such  a 
choice,  adding  that  an  honourable,  upright,  intelligent 
man  of  business,  moving  in  the  world  among  men  and 
exercising  the  influence  of  his  high  character,  might 
be  as  useful  as  any  minister.  The  Hon.  and  Rev. 
Baptist  Noel  also  spoke,  and  it  is  pleasing  to  note 
that  at  one  of  the  earliest  meetings  of  the  Association 
its  undenominational  character  was  emphasised  by 
the  presence  of  representatives  from  Church  and 
Nonconformity,  while  the  speakers  included  that 
prince  of  City  merchants,  Mr.  Samuel  Morley. 

It  was  at  this  meeting  that  the  first  mention  was 
made  of  the  movement  towards  placing  the  Association 
on  a  wider  basis.  "  Since  your  last  meeting,"  it  was 
stated,  "  your  Committee  have  added  to  their  plans 
the  formation  of  Mutual  Improvement  Societies,  as  in 
many  large  houses  containing  upwards  of  eighty  to 
a  hundred  young  men,  no  Christian  young  man  is 
found,  or,  if  there  be  one,  his  position  is  so  isolated 
that  he  is  prevented  from  carrying  out  the  other  part 
of  our  plan.  Now,  many  unconverted  young  men 
would  assist  and  feel  interested  in  a  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Society.  So  would  principals  of  houses,  and 
we  shall  deem  it  no  unimportant  result  if  we  can  lead 
to  the  library  and  useful  knowledge  rather  than  to 
cards  and  billiards,  the  cigar  divan  and  concert 


138  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

room,  the  theatre,  and  the  seducting  and  polluting 
retreat." 

It  is  almost  amusing  to  notice  that  George  Williams 
was  at  this  time  forming  other  schemes  for  carrying 
on  similar  work  in  different  directions.  Only  two 
days  after  this  public  meeting  in  connection  with  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  he  writes :  "  Oh, 
Lord,  what  can  be  done  now  for  the  young  ladies  of 
London?  Wilt  Thou  help  us.  Give  us  wisdom  in 
this  matter,  that  we  may  be  able  to  do  something  for 
Thy  honour  amongst  them,"  and  there  is  reason  to 
believe  that  a  circular  discovered  among  his  papers 
after  his  death,  in  which  reference  is  made  to  the 
starting  of  a  "  Young  Ladies'  Christian  Association," 
was  sent  out  broadcast  about  this  time,  and  was  the 
result  of  a  scheme  which  he  then  formulated,  and 
which  anticipated  by  some  years  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association. 

It  has  always  been  admitted  that  this  work  among 
young  women  was  suggested  by  the  Association 
founded  by  George  Williams,  but  it  is  not  generally 
known  that  he  made  such  definite  attempts  so  early 
in  his  career  to  organise  a  companion  movement. 

In  December  of  1845,  George  Williams  writes: 
"  On  Sunday  last  we  met  for  the  first  time  at  Ser- 
jeant's Inn.  Found  the  Lord  with  us,  and  I  hope 
had  a  very  profitable  time."  It  was  at  Serjeant's  Inn 
that  Mr.  Tarlton  started  the  first  of  his  exceedingly 
successful  Bible  classes,  which  soon  became  an  im- 


EARLY   DAYS   OF   THE    ASSOCIATION     139 

portant  feature  in  every  branch.  These  classes,  ac- 
cording to  a  statement  in  the  Association's  Occasional 
Papers,  No.  1,  "  are  for  young  men  who  are  not 
members  of  Churches  and  form  a  directly  evangelistic 
effort.  There  are  no  members  of  the  Association 
present,  save  those  who  are  engaged  in  the  conduct 
of  the  necessary  arrangements,  it  being  the  object  of 
the  Association  and  the  desire  of  the  Committee  and  of 
the  members  that  all  who,  through  grace,  have  be- 
lieved should  at  once  take  part  in  Sunday  School  or 
Ragged  School  teaching,  or  in  some  of  those  varied 
instrumentalities  by  which  the  Gospel  is  carried  to 
the  destitute  and  perishing  on  the  Lord's  Day." 
This  statement  was  issued  to  clear  away  a  misappre- 
hension as  to  the  object  of  the  Bible  class,  many  be- 
lieving that  it  served  to  draw  young  men  away  from 
the  places  of  worship  they  had  hitherto  attended. 

The  beginning  of  these  gatherings  was  small  in- 
deed, for,  according  to  Mr.  Shipton  in  his  report  to 
a  later  Paris  Conference,  "  chairs  round  a  small  table 
sufficed  to  serve  the  company.  But,"  he  continues, 
"  God  was  there,  His  blessing  filled  the  place,  and  the 
manifestations  of  His  power  and  grace  have  never 
since  been  wanting.  Of  how  many  souls  renewed,  of 
how  many  backsliders  reclaimed,  of  how  much  evil 
prevented,  of  how  many  on  the  verge  of  destruction 
saved  and  restored  to  virtue  and  to  peace,  of  how 
many  weak  brethren  strengthened,  of  how  many  who 
were  poor  and  sorrowful  relieved  and  gladdened  by 


140  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

brotherly  kindness  and  love,  of  how  many  happy 
friendships  formed  to  last  through  eternal  ages,  of 
how  many  equipped  for  the  battle  of  life,  of  how 
many  mothers'  hearts  gladdened  and  how  many 
fathers  made  to  rejoice  over  the  return  of  prodigals 
given  up  for  lost,  time  would  fail  us  to  speak." 

This  Bible  class  was  shortly  afterwards  placed 
under  the  control  of  George  Williams,  who  from 
the  first  presided  at  the  overflow  meeting  from  Mr. 
Tarlton's  class,  and  took  the  place  in  his  scheme  of 
work  hitherto  occupied  by  the  Sunday  School  and  the 
Sunday  visiting  to  which  he  had  given  so  much  time. 
Once  more  tea  and  seed-cake,  for  a  long  time  provided 
by  Mr.  George  Hitchcock,  played  their  important 
part.  One  of  those  who  regularly  attended  George 
William s's  Bible  class  in  Serjeant's  Inn  writes  that 
to  this  day  seed-cake  is  never  absent  from  his  table 
on  Sunday  afternoon  —  "  Sunday  would  not  be  the 
same  without  '  seedy  '  cake  as  we  used  to  call  it  in 
those  days  of  the  Bible  class  in  Serjeant's  Inn  "  - 
while  as  showing  the  extraordinary  attraction  of 
George  Williams's  personality  Mr.  Walter  Hitchcock, 
another  member  of  his  Bible  class,  writes  that  he 
walked  eight  miles  every  Sunday  to  be  present.  The 
address  was  a  simple  study  of  the  Word  of  God, 
questions  were  freely  encouraged,  but  I  have  been 
unable  to  discover  that  there  was  any  particular 
attraction  in  the  originality  or  eloquence  of  the 
speaker,  It  was  the  man  himself  who  drew  these 


EARLY   DAYS    OF   THE    ASSOCIATION.    141 

young  men.  "  I  picture  him,"  writes  one  who  belonged 
to  his  class,  "  as  a  sort  of  Apostle  John  as  he  en- 
gaged us  in  wise  and  loving  talk  and  would  then  pair 
us  off  to  hear  some  great  preacher  of  the  day  such 
as  Baptist  Noel  or  Mr.  Reeve  of  Portman  Chapel." 
There  was  something  in  this  young  man,  something 
undefinable,  which  radiated  from  his  very  presence, 
something  in  his  manner  of  gripping  the  hand,  some- 
thing in  the  cordiality  of  his  welcome,  something  in 
the  geniality  of  his  presence,  something  in  the  bright- 
ness of  his  face,  that  made  irresistible  appeal  to 
young  men. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  recalled  that  through- 
out his  connection  with  the  Association  George  Wil- 
liams unceasingly  urged  the  importance  of  the  Bible 
class  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  features  of  the  work. 
Speaking  at  a  conference  some  years  after  he  under- 
took the  work  at  Serjeant's  Inn,  he  advised  the  con- 
ductors of  such  classes  to  form  committees  of  young 
men  who  would  come  to  the  class  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  subject  for  discussion.  Immedi- 
ately the  conductor  had  opened  the  lesson  some  one, 
"  without  a  moment's  loss  of  time,"  should  deal  with 
it;  he  would  then  be  followed  by  others  prepared  in 
a  similar  way,  and  so  the  interest  would  be  main- 
tained, and  long,  uncomfortable  pauses  avoided.  He 
also  urged  the  necessity  of  making  proper  provision 
for  watching  the  strangers  who  attended  the  classes. 
There  was,  he  truly  remarked,  something  known  in 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

London  of  the  results  of  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand, 
and  everywhere  it  should  be  some  one's  definite  busi- 
ness to  watch  for  the  newcomer,  "  to  find  out  who  he 
was  and  where  he  came  from,  to  invite  him  to  tea 
and  get  him  to  come  again.  I  would  have  it,"  he 
continued,  "  a  treat  to  attend  a  Bible  class.  I  do 
not  think  the  prayer  meetings  of  the  ordinary  kind 
are  satisfactory.  Young  men  want  something  quicker, 
brighter,  more  lively.  The  tunes,  hymns,  and  ex- 
hortations should  all  be  chosen  in  this  spirit,  and  the 
conductors  of  the  Bible  class  should  not  make  the 
mistake  of  restricting  themselves  too  much  to  prayer." 
During  the  following  year,  writes  Mr.  G.  J. 
Stevenson  in  his  Early  Records,  quite  a  new  form 
of  popularising  instruction  and  information  was 
adopted,  which  came  upon  young  men  of  the  Metrop- 
olis with  a  combination  of  surprise  and  delight.  This 
was  the  inception  of  the  famous  Exeter  Hall  Lec- 
tures, which  probably  did  more  than  anything  else 
to  commend  the  Association  to  a  wider  circle  of 
young  men.  The  idea  originated  with  a  few  gentle- 
men interested  in  religious  and  intellectual  matters, 
prominent  among  them  being  the  beloved  Dr.  James 
Hamilton,  of  the  National  Scottish  Church,  Regent's 
Square,  and  the  Committee  of  the  Association  took 
up  their  suggestion  with  great  heartiness.  It  was 
carried  into  practical  effect  in  a  most  successful 
manner  by  Mr.  Tarlton  and  his  Associate  Secretary, 
Mr.  Shipton.  The  first  of  the  lectures  was  given  on 


EARLY   DAYS    OF   THE    ASSOCIATION     143 

December  9,  1845,  at  the  Wesleyan  Centenary  Hall, 
by  one  of  the  most  popular  and  cultured-  divines  of 
the  day,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stoughton,  the  subject  being 
"  The  Connection  of  Science  and  Religion."  History, 
science,  and  archaeology,  considered  in  their  relation 
to  and  bearing  upon  the  Scriptures,  formed  the  sub- 
ject of  the  twelve  lectures  that  constituted  the  first 
winter  course.  Their  popularity  was  immense;  the 
cheapness  of  the  tickets,  one  shilling  for  the  course, 
or  twopence  for  a  single  lecture,  undoubtedly  con- 
tributing to  their  success.  Tickets  were  soon  at  a 
premium,  and,  as  a  result  of  the  general  interest  in 
these  lectures,  they  were  continued  for  twenty  years 
during  the  months  of  December,  January,  and  Feb- 
ruary. Although  they  were  popularly  known  as  the 
Exeter  Hall  Lectures,  they  did  not  become  associated 
with  that  famous  building  until  1848.  For  the  first 
year  they  were  delivered  alternately  at  the  Wesleyan 
Centenary  Hall  in  the  City,  and  in  a  room  in  the 
West  End  of  London  —  in  1846  at  the  Leicester 
Square  Institute,  and  in  1847  at  the  Hanover  Square 
Rooms.  At  last  they  became  so  popular,  and  made 
such  an  extraordinary  demand  on  the  accommodation 
of  the  various  meeting  places,  that  it  became  neces- 
sary to  incur  the  expense  of  securing  the  large  Exeter 
Hall,  which  from  that  date  gave  them  their  title. 
The  lectures  were  of  such  uniform  excellence  and 
attracted  such  wide  attention  that  it  was  decided  to 
print  them  in  pamphlet  form.  The  publication  was 


144  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

undertaken  by  Mr.  James  Watson,  of  Messrs.  Nisbet 
&  Co.,  who  had  been  one  of  the  original  promoters 
of  the  scheme,  and  during  the  first  four  years  some 
36,000  copies  were  sold. 

One  important  result  of  the  publication  of  these 
lectures  in  book  form  and  their  subsequent  large 
circulation  was  the  high  reputation  that  the  Asso- 
ciation gained  among  thinking  men  of  the  day,  and 
no  difficulty  was  afterwards  encountered  in  securing 
leading  orators  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation platform. 

It  would  serve  no  purpose  to  give  a  detailed  list 
of  the  lectures  delivered  during  these  twenty  years; 
but  some  idea  of  their  importance  may  be  formed 
from  the  names  of  lecturers  which  included  such 
famous  men  as  Archbishop  Whately,  Bishop  Bicker- 
steth,  Dean  Alford,  Dean  Alexander,  Dean  Stanley, 
John  Angell  James,  Dr.  Dale  of  Birmingham,  Morley 
Punshon,  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  Dr.  Stoughton,  "  A.  K. 
H.  B.,"  Prof.  Richard  Owen,  James  Hamilton, 
Thomas  Binney,  Dr.  Alexander  Duff,  Hugh  Miller, 
Earl  Russell,  Hugh  Stowell  Brown,  Luke  Wiseman, 
and  J.  B.  Gough,  while  the  subjects  ranged  from 
the  Tabernacle  of  Israel  to  the  Mythology  of  the 
Greeks,  from  Renan  to  Hogarth,  and  from  Christian 
Evidences  to  Popular  Amusements.  Perhaps  the  most 
extraordinary  scene  witnessed  at  these  meetings  was 
when,  in  1854,  Morley  Punshon  delivered  his  first 
great  lecture,  "  The  Prophet  of  Horeb,"  to  nearly 


C.  W.  SMITH 

Who  gave  the  name  to  the 
Association 


EDWARD  ROGERS 

One  of  the  twelve  original  members 
of  the  Association 


nr  tfjm  are  gaifjcretf  together  in  ran  name,  rf>e«  aw  $»in  t$c 
mltJSt  of  tijem.—  M  A  XT.  :xvni.  20..     % 


YOITO  MEW  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIAON. 

h'STITl'TED,  JIM]  fi,  1814, 

.  jjJi^^  U 


fe-0 
a  & 

fl 


13e  tfyat  gotti)  (ovtf)  artO  toetptrt),  bearing  precious  sccO,  sfeall  OoufttUss  torat 
in  ffiHl)  njotcing.  bringing  !)is  sljcaDts  tnitl)  i)tm. -— Ps.  cxxvi.  <;. 


THE  ORIGINAL  CARD  OF  MEMBERSHIP  OF  THE  YOUNG  MEN'S 
CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 


EARLY  DAYS   OF   THE   ASSOCIATION     145 

three  thousand  people,  raising  his  audience  to  a  pitch 
of  enthusiasm  which  has  never  been  surpassed,  and 
seldom  ever  approached  under  such  conditions. 

The  year  1846  saw  a  notable  definite  forward 
movement.  Several  additions  were  made  to  the  Met- 
ropolitan branches,  and  meetings  for  prayer  and 
Bible  study  started  at  Islington,  Pimlico,  Southwark, 
and  Whitechapel.  It  was  about  this  time  that  George 
Williams  began  his  deputation  work  with  Mr.  Tarl- 
ton.  Together  they  visited  a  number  of  prominent 
towns  and  cities  in  the  provinces,  separating  for  a 
few  days  while  George  Williams  made  a  short  stay 
at  his  old  home,  finding  time  on  the  way  to  start  an 
association  at  Taunton,  and  then  meeting  again  at 
Bath,  where  they  held  a  large  meeting  in  the  Town 
Hall,  and  secured  some  thirty  new  members  for  the 
Association.  This  was  the  way,  indeed,  in  which 
George  Williams  took  his  holidays,  not  only  in  these 
early  days,  but  throughout  his  life.  His  family 
would  laughingly  say  that  it  was  his  habit  not  to 
consult  his  own  or  their  wishes  in  the  selection  of  a 
suitable  place  for  a  holiday,  but  to  consult  the  rec- 
ords of  the  society,  to  note  a  district  which  did  not 
as  yet  contain  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
and  to  settle  there  with  his  family  and  start  branches 
throughout  the  neighbourhood. 

This  record  of  the  early  growth  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  may  fitly  close  with  a 
quotation  taken  from  George  Williams's  diary  on 


10 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 


146 


Wednesday  evening,  August  192  1847:^^^1  do 
solemnly  declare  from  this  evening  to  give  myself 
unreservedly  to  this  Association,  to  live  for  the  pros- 
perity of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  I 
do  praise  God  for  having  called  me  by  His  grace 
and  so  blessed  me  temporally.  I  do  desire  to  be  very 
low  at  His  feet  for  all  His  mercies.  I  thank  Him 
for  the  determination  of  so  living  as  to  be  useful 
among  the  young  men  of  the  world.  And  now,  oh, 
Lord,  I  pray  Thee  to  give  me  from  this  hour  a  double 
portion  of  Thy  Spirit  that  I  may  so  labour  and  work 
in  this  Thy  cause  that  very  many  souls  may  be  con- 
verted and  saved." 


THE   WORLD-WIDE    GROWTH   OF 
THE    YOUNG    MEN'S    CHRIS- 
TIAN  ASSOCIATION 


I 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE   WORLD-WIDE    GROWTH   OF   THE   YOUNG 
MEN'S   CHRISTIAN   ASSOCIATION 

FROM  this  time  forward  the  public  life  of  Sir 
George  Williams  is  written  in  the  reports  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  with  occa- 
sional footnotes  in  the  records  and  subscription  lists 
of  many  other  societies  with  which  he  became  more 
or  less  closely  connected.  Of  his  intimate  inner  life 
we  get  fewer  glimpses  as  the  years  pass.  It  must 
be  remembered  that  this  young  man  had  attained  to 
a  maturity  of  mind  and  an  assurance  of  belief  that 
come  to  few  at  such  an  age.  The  years  that  followed 
varied  little  in  worldly  experience,  except  in  so  far 
as  they  were  marked  by  ever-increasing  honour  and 
success.  George  Williams  rapidly  broadened  his 
commercial  outlook  and  grew  in  such  favour  with  his 
employer,  Mr.  Hitchcock,  that  the  head  of  the  firm 
came  to  regard  him  not  only  as  his  most  successful 
buyer  and  assistant,  but  of  so  great  importance  to 
the  business  that  he  was  entitled  to  a  share  in  its 
control  and  profits. 

The  life  of  George  Williams  now  enters  upon  the 
years   of   almost   unbroken   prosperity   of   soul   and 


150  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

body.  The  story  of  unceasing  work  would  be  monot- 
onous and  colourless  if  recounted  in  detail.  He  was 
most  actively  engaged  and  most  intensely  interested 
in  his  business,  and  the  struggle  must  have  been 
severe,  for  success  even  in  those  days  of  the  nation's 
prosperity  came  only  as  a  result  of  much  thought 
and  toil,  but  anything  like  a  minute  description  of 
the  ways  and  means  of  commercial  progress  can  be 
of  no  great  interest  to  the  general  public.  And 
although  it  is  true  that  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  was  the  life  of  his  life,  that  he  was  in- 
timately bound  up  in  all  its  growing  activities,  that 
behind  and  through  all  he  was  guiding,  helping, 
giving  with  full  heart  and  hand  of  his  time  and  sub- 
stance, it  would  be  outside  the  scheme  of  this  book  to 
attempt  any  full  and  formal  history  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  I  must  content  myself 
with  noting  some  of  the  occasions  when  his  influence 
upon  the  work  of  the  Association  was  peculiarly 
apparent  during  its  years  of  world-wide  growth. 

It  was  one  of  the  triumphs  of  George  Williams's 
career  that  he  was  able  to  induce  men  who,  as  a  rule, 
were  not  to  be  seen  on  such  a  platform  as  Exeter 
Hall  to  take  a  prominent  part  in  public  meetings  of 
the  Association.  George  Williams  knew  the  value, 
the  attraction,  of  a  big  name.  The  Lord  Mayor  of 
London,  the  Earl  of  Harrowby,  Lord  Ebury,  George 
Moore,  Samuel  Morley,  and  other  heads  of  the  great 
City  houses,  are  constantly  mentioned  in  the  records 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     151 

of  the  annual  meetings.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to 
say  that  the  platform  at  the  yearly  gatherings  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  especially 
during  these  middle  years,  was  occupied  by  more 
notable  men  from  all  sections  of  society  than  were 
to  be  found  at  any  other  public  gathering  of  a 
religious  nature.  George  Williams  believed  in  doing 
a  big  work  in  a  big  manner.  The  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  was  a  great  work,  and  the  world 
had  to  be  told  so.  He  knew  that  the  best  way  —  the 
only  way  —  to  impress  the  great  public,  to  prove 
that  the  Association  was  not  a  narrow  or  circum- 
scribed movement,  but  one  which  any  young  man 
would  consider  it  an  honour  to  join,  was  to  place  at 
its  head  men  whom  the  world,  from  worldly  motives, 
was  bound  to  have  in  respect. 

The  most  noble  of  all  names  connected  with  the 
Association  will  ever  remain  that  of  the  heroic  phil- 
anthropist and  statesman,  Lord  Shaftesbury.  It 
was  in  1848  when,  as  Lord  Ashley,  he  had  reached 
the  height  of  his  power  in  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  had  added  to  the  long  list  of  his  political  and 
social  triumphs  the  Public  Health  Act  and  the  emi- 
gration grant  of  £1,500  for  the  Ragged  School  chil- 
dren, that  he  first  came  into  close  personal  touch 
with  George  Williams.  From  that  time  forward  their 
intercourse  was  of  the  most  intimate  character.  The 
complete  story  of  their  friendship  will  never  be  told. 
George  Williams  would  not  have  wished  the  details 


152  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

of  such  a  relationship  to  be  made  public,  and  silence 
is  the  golden  tribute  to  both  men.  It  is  enough  to 
say  that  one  of  the  finest,  strongest  characters  of 
these  latter  days  spoke  of  Sir  George  Williams  as 
his  "  best  friend,"  and  asked  repeatedly  for  him  as 
he  lay  waiting  for  Death.  Throughout  the  years 
that  followed  Lord  Shaftesbury  was  a  warm  sup- 
porter of  any  movement  with  which  George  Williams 
was  identified,  while,  when  riches  increased,  George 
Williams,  reserving  himself  as  he  always  did  prin- 
cipally for  one  work,  was  ever  ready  to  give  generous 
financial  aid  to  the  multitudinous  schemes  set  on  foot 
by  his  friend  for  the  betterment  of  men.  In  matters 
of  religion  the  two  men  had  much  in  common,  and 
in  later  years  Lord  Shaftesbury  was  known  to  say 
that  he  took  no  important  step  without  consulting 
his  "  best  friend."  For  nearly  thirty-five  years  the 
heroic  figure  of  the  friend  of  the  poor,  "  the  good 
old  Earl,"  was  seldom  absent  from  any  important 
gathering  of  the  Association  held  in  England,  and 
one  of  the  last  public  acts  of  his  life  was  to  accom- 
pany, a  few  days  before  his  eighty-third  birthday, 
"  that  dear  man  George  Williams  "  to  the  opening 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  at  Brighton 
— "  that  valuable  institution,"  as  he  writes  in  his 
diary,  "  set  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of 
men." 

In  1849,  when  for  the  first  time  the  annual  meet- 
ing was  held  in  Exeter  Hall,  which,  thirty  years  later, 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     153 

became  the  property  of  the  Association  and  its  central 
home,  Lord  Ashley  had  consented  to  take  the  chair, 
but  was  prevented  at  the  last  moment  by  illness. 
From  the  following  year  till  his  death  he  presided 
at  every  annual  meeting  save  two  or  three. 

In  the  same  year  the  headquarters  of  the  Associa- 
tion were  removed  to  new  and  much  larger  premises 
in  Gresham  Street,  City,  and  it  was  then  that  George 
Williams  urged  the  wisdom  of  admitting  to  the 
library,  reading-rooms,  and  class-rooms  those  who 
were  not  available  for  membership  in  the  Associa- 
tion, while  the  additional  accommodation  enabled  the 
Committee  to  introduce  evening  classes  for  young 
men,  the  Association  thus  taking  its  place  among 
the  pioneers  of  this  department  of  educational  work. 
This  suggestion  of  enlarging  the  usefulness  of  the 
library  and  reading-rooms  was  strenuously  opposed 
by  certain  members  of  the  Committee,  but,  after  a 
discussion,  which  at  times  became  heated,  the  Com- 
mittee decided  "  that  without  in  the  slightest  degree 
interfering  with  the  distinctive  character  and  design 
of  membership  in  the  Association,  the  value  of  which 
every  year  brought  additional  proof,  many  young 
men  of  moral  character  and  regular  habits  might  be 
provided  for  by  the  Association  upon  the  simple 
terms  of  a  money  subscription,  and  by  this  means  in 
widening  the  sphere  of  its  influence  the  Association 
would  fulfil  its  aims  and  by  God's  help  promote  more 
largely  the  spiritual  improvement  of  young  men." 


154  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

The  acquisition  of  the  rooms  in  Gresham  Street 
proved  most  successful.  In  accordance  with  the 
earnest  desire  and  expectation  of  the  more  liberal 
members  of  the  Committee,  many  who  first  attended 
merely  for  the  sake  of  th'e  library,  reading,  and 
class  rooms,  in  due  course  joined  the  Bible  classes 
and  devotional  meetings  of  their  own  free  will,  and 
many  who  could  not  otherwise  have  been  reached  were 
thus  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  Association 
and  led  to  make  a  definite  profession  of  faith.  It 
would  be  foolish  to  deny  that  certain  influential  mem- 
bers of  the  Committee  at  this  time  were  of  the  nar- 
rowest disposition,  and  one  of  the  most  important 
works  that  George  Williams  accomplished  in  the 
Association  was  in  smoothing  over  the  thousand  and 
one  difficulties  in  matters  of  religious  organisation 
which  naturally  presented  themselves  as  a  result  of 
the  rapid  growth  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  The 
local  secretaries  looked  to  the  Central  Committee  in 
London  for  guidance  in  solving  all  troublous  prob- 
lems, and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  presence  and 
wise  counsel  of  George  Williams  there  can  be  no 
question  that  the  work  of  the  Association  would  again 
and  again  have  been  confined  and  narrowed  by  the 
prejudices  of  the  few.  It  was  owing  in  great  measure 
to  his  tact  and  good  humour  that  the  opposition  of 
those  who  were  most  fearful  of  broadening  the  basis 
of  the  work,  and  whose  alienation  from  the  Society 
would  have  meant,  in  more  than  one  instance,  most 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     155 

serious  loss,  was  in  the  end  overcome.  George  Wil- 
liams met  such  men  on  their  own  ground.  He  was 
in  full  sympathy  with  their  religious  views;  in  a 
large  degree  he  shared  them;  but  his  unanswerable 
argument  was  that  as  long  as  the  fundamental  doc- 
trines of  the  Association  were  not  jeopardised  they 
were  entitled,  compelled  rather,  to  use  all  means  to 
save  some. 

Lest  I  should  be  charged  with  endeavouring  to 
minimise  the  narrowness  which,  it  must  be  admitted, 
characterised  even  the  Central  Association,  let  me 
quote  two  amazing  extracts  from  its  official  organ 
of  about  this  date,  not  in  any  spirit  of  criticism  or 
condemnation,  but  only  as  additional  proof  that  had 
it  not  been  for  the  presence  and  influence  of  one  who, 
in  spite  of  his  own  strict  Puritanism,  steadfastly  set 
himself  against  the  bigotry  of  many  of  his  dearest 
friends,  the  Association  would  hardly  have  survived 
the  years  of  early  manhood. 

Writing  as  late  as  the  early  sixties,  the  Secretary, 
in  answer  to  a  correspondent,  says :  "  We  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying  that  a  Christian  young  man  had 
better  not  compete  in  a  swimming  match,  or  indeed 
in  a  match  of  any  kind.  The  desire  of  distinction 
will  in  itself  be  a  snare,  while  if  he  should  win  in  the 
strife,  passions  of  envy,  jealousy,  or  disappointment 
may  be  engendered  in  his  competitors  " ;  and  a  few 
days  later  a  severe  rebuke  is  administered  in  the  same 
organ  to  Archbishop  Trench  and  Dr.  Dale  of  Bir- 


156  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

mingham,  who  had  "  trailed  their  Christian  priest- 
hood in  the  dust  to  offer  homage  at  the  shrine  of  a 
dead  playwright  "  at  the  Shakespeare  tercentenary 
celebrations.  "  We  see,"  the  editorial  article  con- 
tinues, "  that  Archbishop  Trench  closed  his  discourse 
at  Stratford  Church  by  referring  to  the  correctness 
of  Shakespeare's  views  on  the  corruptness  of  human 
nature  and  on  the  atoning  sacrifice  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Did  he  think  such  matters  were  of 
much  account  to  those  who  were  about  to  join  in 
idle  pageants,  theatrical  fooleries,  and  above  all 
that  oratorio  of  the  Messiah,  wherein,  as  John 
Newton  once  said  roughly  but  pointedly,  '  the  Re- 
deemer's agonies  are  illustrated  on  catgut.'  Mas- 
querade and  sermon,  pageant  and  oratorio !  —  it  is 
very  mournful." 

The  men  responsible  for  such  statements  as  these 
had  undoubtedly  their  excuse  if  not  their  justifica- 
tion. They  had  been  brought  up  in  a  day  when  even 
the  most  innocent  amusement  seemed  tainted  by  the 
association  of  licence  and  vice,  and  had  been  taught, 
and  believed,  that  most  forms  of  recreation  were 
therefore  vicious.  Narrowness  was  the  almost  inevi- 
table outcome  of  an  age  of  extremes.  The  wonderful 
thing  is  that  an  association  for  young  men  should 
have  survived  the  almost  inconceivably  bigoted  atten- 
tions of  some  of  its  friends  and  officials.  This  was 
certainly  due  first  to  its  Christian  character  and 
spiritual  basis,  and  then  in  large  measure  to  the  in- 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     157 

fluence  of  George  Williams,  who,  it  is  very  noticeable, 
never  joined  in  these  discussions,  nor  lent  himself  to 
the  narrow  definition  of  conduct  which  some  were 
anxious  to  introduce  into  the  work  of  the  Associa- 
tion. Often  he  broke  into  these  arguments  with  the 
question  which  he  spent  all  his  life  in  answering, 
"  What  shall  we  do  to  win  young  men  ?  "  He  had 
unbounded  confidence  in  the  good  sense  of  young 
men,  and  his  sole  object  was  to  lead  them  to  Christ. 
It  was  well  for  the  world  that  he  compelled  those  in 
charge  of  the  Association  to  remember  that  this  was 
its  great  and  abiding  work. 

The  month  of  May  was  then,  as  now,  the  great 
time  for  religious  anniversaries,  and  in  1850  the 
opportunity  afforded  by  this  gathering  together  of 
men  of  all  denominations  from  every  corner  of  the 
kingdom  was  seized  to  interest  a  wider  circle  in  the 
work.  As  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Association  was, 
during  its  early  years,  held  in  the  winter  months, 
George  Williams,  always  a  believer  in  the  social 
gathering,  suggested  the  inauguration  of  a  public 
May  meeting  breakfast,  which  soon  became  one  of 
the  most  popular  of  all  the  "  May  meetings."  The 
first  breakfast  was  given  under  the  presidency  of  the 
Hon.  Arthur  F.  Kinnaird,  the  father  of  the  present 
Lord  Kinnaird,  now  president  of  the  National  Coun- 
cil of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and 
it  may  be  remarked  in  passing  that  one  of  the  most 
interesting  features  in  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 


158  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

elation  work  has  been  the  way  in  which,  in  so  many 
instances,  the  sons  have  in  due  time  taken  up  the 
fathers'  work,  so  that  such  names  as  Morley,  Bevan, 
Tritton,  and  Kinnaird  have  always  been  in  the  fore- 
front of  its  supporters. 

It  was  at  this  kind  of  social  gathering  that  George 
Williams  looked  and  felt  happiest.  Whatever  calls 
came  upon  his  time  it  was  only  on  account  of  severe 
illness  that  once  or  twice,  in  all  the  years,  he  failed 
to  be  present  at  the  May  meeting  breakfast  and  at 
the  Christmas  breakfast,  organised  some  time  later 
"  for  the  benefit  of  the  hundreds  of  shop  assistants 
who  live  at  their  place  of  business,  and  whose  homes 
are  at  too  great  a  distance  to  make  the  Christmas 
journey."  George  Williams  had  the  happy  knack 
on  such  occasions  of  making  everybody  feel  at  home. 
He  had  the  magic  faculty  of  convincing  every  young 
man  present  that  upon  him  rested  the  vast  responsi- 
bility of  making  the  meeting,  and  even  the  Associa- 
tion itself,  a  success.  And  when  you  have  filled  a 
young  man  with  the  belief  that  so  much  depends  upon 
his  strength  and  faithfulness,  you  have  gone  a  good 
way  towards  making  him  a  hero,  or,  if  need  be,  a 
martyr. 

George  Williams  did  not  confine  these  social  gather- 
ings to  the  central  building.  The  early  reports  are 
full  of  short  accounts  of  soirees  and  teas  "  kindly 
given  by  Mr.  George  Williams  "  at  branches  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  Metropolis,  and  throughout  the 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     159 

country.  It  was  personal  contact  that  George 
Williams  believed  in  and  practised  with  all  his 
might.  During  the  earliest  years  these  are  prac- 
tically the  only  occasions  upon  which  his  name  is 
prominent,  so  careful  was  he  to  keep  himself  in  the 
background. 

The  many  social  meetings  and  breakfasts  inau- 
gurated by  George  Williams  are  so  typical  of  his 
work  in  the  Association  that  they  merit  more  than 
a  passing  notice.  "  Christopher  Crayon,"  writing 
some  years  later,  said  that  a  ride  along  roads  almost 
impassable  on  account  of  the  snow,  a  tramp  along 
the  dark  and  silent  streets  of  London,  was  well  com- 
pensated for  as  soon  as  he  arrived  in  the  genial 
atmosphere  of  Gresham  Street,  where  by  half-past 
eight  some  two  hundred  members  met  for  their  annual 
Christmas  morning  breakfast,  for  "  Mr.  Williams  and 
Mr.  Shipton  always  carried  sunshine  with  them." 
"  What,"  he  asks,  "  is  the  secret  of  the  success  of 
such  a  gathering  as  this  on  one  of  the  most  dis- 
agreeable mornings  imaginable?  I  answer:  The 
family  nature  of  the  gathering.  Mr.  Williams  seems 
the  friend  of  every  one  present."  George  Williams 
had  known  the  loneliness  of  London  shop  life,  and 
he  knew  how  to  show  sympathy  with  those  who  "  at 
the  season  of  joyful  reunion  were  left  behind  in  the 
great  city,"  at  holiday  times  one  of  the  most  desolate 
spots  on  earth.  It  was  his  delight  to  make  these 
breakfasts  real  family  reunions,  and  at  them  he  gave 


160  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

many  of  his  happiest  and  heartiest  little  addresses. 
There  sounded  through  them  all  the  ring  of  welcome, 
of  encouragement,  of  great  joy.  "  My  heart,"  he 
said  on  one  occasion,  "  is  full  of  sincere  gratitude 
this  Christmas  morning,  full  of  hope  and  encourage- 
ment. Personal  reasons  make  this  a  very  happy 
Christmas  morning.  It  is  the  time  for  taking  stock 
—  for  counting  up  our  riches.  Oh,  what  a  stock  of 
riches  we  have  in  Christ !  "  Truly  he  could  say  at 
one  of  the  later  Christmas  meetings,  that  though  he 
feared  grey  hairs  were  to  be  seen  among  them,  their 
hearts  were  still  young,  and  "  through  God's  grace 
we  mean  to  keep  young  in  love,  in  joy,  and  in  work 
for  the  Lord." 

This  seems  a  convenient  place  to  make  mention  of 
the  other  great  social  gathering  at  which  George 
Williams  presided  to  the  end  of  his  life.  Radley's, 
the  quiet  old  hotel  in  Blackfriars,  suggestive  to  most 
Londoners  only  of  Masonic  dinners,  Christmas  balls, 
meetings  of  insurance  societies,  and  an  occasional 
wedding  breakfast,  held  a  place  in  the  affection  of 
the  founder  and  of  the  earlier  members  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, which  later  comers  could  hardly  realise  and 
appreciate.  The  two  rooms  in  the  old  City  hotel  were 
crowded  with  sacred  memories.  "  There  are  some  of 
us,"  wrote  one  of  the  members  when  the  society  was 
twenty-five  years  old,  "  who  go  up  to  Radley's  meet- 
ing with  feelings  akin  to  those  of  the  ancient  Israelites 
as  they  went  to  their  sacred  feasts."  When  after 


GROWTH   OF   THE    ASSOCIATION     161 

the  move  to  Gresham  Street  the  association  with  the 
hotel  was  severed,  George  Williams,  as  has  already 
been  stated,  decided  to  perpetuate  the  old  memories 
by  holding  at  Radley's  an  annual  social  gathering 
consisting  of  the  members  of  the  Committee  of  the 
Parent  Association  and  its  various  Metropolitan 
branches.  This  was  accordingly  done  each  year 
until  the  demolition  of  the  hotel,  when  the  gathering 
was  transferred  to  the  Freemasons'  Hall,  in  Great 
Queen  Street,  where,  however,  it  still  preserved  the 
name  of  Radley's  meeting. 

The  meeting  was  preceded  by  a  reception  at  which 
the  founder  of  the  Association  welcomed  his  friends 
in  the  hearty  manner  for  which  he  was  famous,  and 
which  gained  so  much  from  his  remarkable  memory 
for  faces  and  the  personal  nature  of  each  individual 
greeting.  After  an  hour's  social  intercourse  over 
"  seedy  "  cake  and  a  cup  of  tea  taken,  as  some  one 
once  explained,  in  peripatetic  fashion  —  for  many  of 
those  present  only  met  thus  once  a  year  —  the  meet- 
ing settled  down  in  a  circle  round  the  host's  table  to 
hear  reports  and  personal  testimonies.  Afterwards 
it  was  George  Williams's  custom  to  suggest  some 
topic  of  conversation  or  discussion  in  connection  with 
the  advancement  of  the  society,  such  as  "  The  special 
difficulties  encountered  in  the  work  for  young  men," 
"  Lessons  to  be  learnt  from  developments  in  America," 
or  "  The  duty  of  members  to  the  Association."  It 
was  in  connection  with  this  last  subject  that,  at  a 

11 


162  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Radley's  meeting  held  in  1870,  George  Williams  urged 
that  the  claims  of  every  class,  every  section  of  society, 
might,  in  future,  be  provided  for  in  the  organisation. 
He  calculated  that  of  the  250,000  young  men  in  the 
City  at  that  time,  at  least  150,000  might  be  ranked 
as  inferior  in  social  station  to  those  employed  in  ware- 
houses and  shops,  such  as  then  constituted  the  staple 
of  the  members  of  the  Association.  He  was  strongly 
of  opinion  that  members  should  use  the  advantage 
which  they  derived  from  the  Association  Bible  classes 
"  in  order  to  instruct  young  men  of  the  artisan  class 
whom  it  might  not  be  convenient  or  desirable  to  intro- 
duce into  existing  meetings,  and  for  whom  rooms  in 
suitable  localities  might  be  provided." 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  this  forward  policy  has  not 
been  carried  out  in  Britain  with  the  enthusiasm  it 
deserves,  but  it  should  be  noted  that  the  general  idea 
of  adapting  the  Association  work  to  suit  class  needs 
which  has  been  taken  up  with  such  amazing  results 
in  America  was  formulated  more  than  thirty-five  years 
ago  by  the  founder. 

There  was  nothing  formal  or  precise  in  the  dis- 
cussions at  Radley's,  the  host  calling  upon  one  after 
another  to  speak  of  their  special  work  and  vigorously 
wielding  his  hammer  to  enforce  observance  to  his 
ruling  that  no  speaker  should  occupy  more  than  five 
minutes.  It  was  delightful,  for  example,  to  hear  the 
chairman's  spirited  address  followed  by  a  speech  in 
broadest  Northern  dialect  by  a  young  man  who  said 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     163 

he  had  for  years  longed  to  be  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Association  so  that  he  might  have  the 
opportunity  of  telling  at  "  Radley's  "  what  he  owed 
to  one  of  its  members.  He  then  proceeded  to  relate 
how,  many  years  before,  he  had  entered  London  and 
stood,  wayworn,  friendless,  and  poor,  under  Highgate 
Archway.  A  young  man  spoke  kindly  to  him  and, 
learning  that  he  was  friendless  in  the  City,  turned 
back  to  the  house  of  a  tradesman  of  his  acquaintance 
with  whom  he  procured  for  this  stranger  immediate 
employment,  or,  as  the  narrator  pithily  said,  "  put 
him  to  bread,"  within  an  hour  of  his  entrance  upon 
the  life  of  London. 

He  had  never  seen  his  benefactor  since,  but  he  had 
never  forgotten,  and  when  he  recalled  that  this  ser- 
vice had  been  rendered  him  by  one  who  had  announced 
his  membership  in  the  Association  as  the  reason  for 
his  friendly  conduct  to  a  friendless  stranger,  he  felt 
intense  love  for  the  work,  and  a  great  desire  that  all 
the  members  should  be  encouraged  by  hearing  what 
comfort  and  blessing  to  himself  had  resulted  from  a 
chance  meeting  with  an  Association  young  man.  He 
had  found,  at  the  same  moment,  protection  from  want, 
and  the  temptations  by  which  poverty  and  isolation 
in  London  are  too  often  accompanied. 

This  is  but  one  instance  of  hundreds  which  might 
be  recounted  of  ho\y  the  Association  was  daily  ful- 
filling the  hopes  of  those  who  started  it  in  the  Upper 
Room,  of  how  their  belief  in  the  power  of  personal 


164  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

contact  had  influenced  the  whole  work.  The  Associa- 
tion, started  by  twelve  enthusiasts  who  in  their  daily 
calling  came  into  contact  with  some  one  hundred  and 
fifty  others,  had  in  four  years  increased  its  member- 
ship to  nearly  one  thousand  who,  it  was  calculated, 
were  in  a  position  to  exert  a  daily  influence  over  at 
least  six  thousand  young  men. 

When  the  Great  Exhibition  was  held  in  London 
in  1851,  peculiar  efforts  were  put  forth  to  interest 
the  visitors  from  all  parts  of  the  world  in  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  and  the  story  of  the 
work  was  thus  carried  into  many  lands.  It  was  a 
year  of  enthusiasm  and  activity  and  high  hopes  in 
all  directions.  Everything  that  was  best  in  the  forties, 
all  the  ideals  and  aspirations  of  the  period,  found  in 
this  Exhibition  their  splendid  climax.  Men  saw,  in- 
deed, a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  and  there  were 
those  who  seriously  expected  that  men  who  had  once 
been  prevailed  upon  to  meet  together  in  friendly  and 
peaceful  rivalry  would  never  again  join  in  the  fierce 
rivalry  of  battle  and  conflict. 

If  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  entered 
upon  the  year  of  the  Exhibition  with  the  high  hopes 
that  marked  the  country  generally,  it  did  not  suffer 
the  severe  disappointments  that  came  to  those  who  had 
expected  so  much  in  other  directions.  On  the  con- 
trary, however  high  George  Williams  and  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Association  had  set  their  ambitions,  they 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     165 

could  hardly  have  dreamed  of  the  wonderful  effects 
that  this  International  gathering  was  to  have  on 
their  work. 

As  they  had  taken  advantage  of  the  May  meetings 
to  explain  their  plans  and  methods  to  representa- 
tives from  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom,  so  they 
now  sought  to  influence  the  nations  of  the  world  in 
the  cause  of  the  Christian  union  of  young  men. 

At  Exeter  Hall,  special  lectures  were  given  on 
religious  topics,  illustrated  by  the  Great  Exhibition 
and  its  wonderful  gatherings.  The  members  of  the 
Association  carried  out  a  vast  plan  of  tract  distri- 
bution, and  presented  no  less  than  362,000  leaflets 
and  booklets  to  those  who  had  come  to  London  to  see 
the  sights.  Not  only  did  these  tracts  bring  many 
newcomers  to  the  Bible  classes,  but  they  fell  into 
the  hands  of  visitors  from  the  Continent,  from  the 
Colonies,  and  from  America,  and  thus_jed  to  the 
formation  of  branches  abroad  and  in  reality  were 
largely  instrumental  in  starting  the  International 
aspect  of  the  work.  It  was  with  grateful  hearts  that 
the  Committee,  in  issuing  their  report,  stated  that 
"  during  the  year  the  Association  had  held  over  550 
public  meetings  of  young  men,  for  prayer  and  the 
communication  of  religious  truth,  and  that  more  than 
a  thousand  others  had  been  conducted  by  its  members 
in  commercial  establishments,  while  probably  over  a 
million  young  men  have  been  reached  by  the  tracts 
and  addresses  which  have  been  distributed." 


166  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

In  the  following  year  during  a  business  visit  to 
Paris,  where  he  bought  at  that  time  a  large  quantity 
of  the  dress  goods  sold  in  his  establishment,  George 
Williams  found  himself  one  Sunday  morning  in  the 
Methodist  Chapel,  and  entering  into  conversation  with 
a  young  man,  asked  his  usual  question,  "  Have  you  a 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  this  city  ?  " 
On  being  told  that  none  existed*  and  that  such  an 
organisation  would  scarcely  be  feasible  in  their  city 
of  pleasure,  George  Williams,  nothing  daunted,  called 
together  a  number  of  prominent  religious  leaders,  and 
after  explaining  the  nature  and  scope  of  the  work 
in  London,  invited  them  to  form  a  similar  Association 
in  Paris,  meeting  successfully  the  many  objections 
which  were  raised.  It  was  agreed  to  call  on  a  number 
of  pastors  in  Paris  to  obtain  their  advice  and,  if 
possible,  their  approval;  and,  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting,  George  Williams,  as  was  his  custom,  headed 
the  subscription  list  with  a  substantial  gift  towards 
the  first  expenses  of  the  proposed  Association.  A 
few  weeks  later,  with  the  cordial  support  of  Pasteurs 
Monod  and  Pressense,  an  Association  was  formed, 
the  first  and  chief  of  the  many  branches  which  are 
to  be  found  throughout  France  to-day.  A  commercial 
traveller  who  was  present  at  the  first  meeting  in  Paris, 
introduced  the  work  to  Holland,  and  thence  the  Asso- 
ciation spread  to  other  countries,  so  that  it  may  be 
said  with  truth  that  George  Williams  was  more  than 
nominally  the  founder  of  the  Associations  on  the 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     167 

Continent  of  Europe,  the  work  in  Paris  having  been 
set  on  foot  entirely  through  his  initiative. 

In  the  same  year  a  young  man  from  a  business 
house  in  London,  laid  the  foundation  of  a  flour- 
ishing Association  in  Adelaide,  and  shortly  after- 
wards branches  were  also  started  in  Calcutta,  in 
Montreal,  in  Boston,  and  other  cities  in  the  United 
States. 

Space  will  not  allow  of  any  adequate  review  of  the 
growth  of  the  Associations  in  foreign  parts,  of  how 
the  societies  which  quickly  circled  the  globe  were 
united  and  knit  together  by  the  creation  of  a  great 
International  Committee,  while  to  the  chapter  dealing 
with  the  Jubilee  of  the  American  Association,  must 
be  reserved  the  story  of  the  wonderful  work  on  the 
Continent  of  America.  It  is  only  right,  however,  at 
this  point  to  make  mention  of  the  "  devoted  and 
self-sacrificing  men  "  who  led  in  the  inception  of  the 
American  Associations.  They  were  inexperienced  and 
obscure,  with  very  limited  financial  resources,  and  with 
little  public  support  and  confidence  in  their  plans, 
but  they  possessed  keen  sympathy  with  their  fellows, 
and  a  "  deep-seated  desire  to  lead  them  to  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus,"  and  multitudes  were  speedily  at- 
tracted to  them.  The  work  grew  with  too  startling 
rapidity,  so  that  a  decided  reaction  occurred  after  a 
few  years,  and  it  was  not  till  1864  that  there  appeared 
the  signs  of  renewed  life,  and  of  that  strenuous  en- 
deavour which  has  made  the  American  Association 


168  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

a   power  in   the   land,    and   indeed  throughout   the 
world. 

While  it  was  so  rapidly  spreading  its  influence  in 
other  lands,  its  growth  throughout  Great  Britain  was 
equally  encouraging.  In  London  it  had  within  ten 
years  outgrown  building  after  building,  and  in  1854 
it  was  decided  to  purchase  the  lease  of  new  premises 
at  156,  Aldersgate  Street,  formerly  occupied  by  the 
City  of  London  Literary  and  Scientific  Institute. 
This  new  move  involved  altogether  an  expenditure  of 
over  £3,000.  On  the  occasion  of  the  opening  meetings 
in  the  new  premises,  it  was  estimated  that  upwards 
of  six  thousand  young  men  had  joined  the  Bible 
classes  since  their  commencement  in  Serjeant's  Inn, 
while  over  500,000  had  attended  the  lectures,  the 
reports  of  which  had  sold  to  the  amazing  number  of 
above  650,000  copies.  The  Aldersgate  Street  build- 
ing was  in  size  and  equipment  a  notable  advance  on 
anything  hitherto  attempted  by  the  Association,  and 
to  this  day  it  continues  one  of  its  most  active  and 
prosperous  branches.  With  it  George  Williams  was 
always  most  intimately  connected.  Never  a  week 
passed  when  George  Williams  was  in  London  without 
at  least  one  visit  to  its  noonday  prayer  meeting.  To 
him  and  to  those  who  could  recall  the  early  meetings 
of  the  Association  it  represented  the  work  they  had 
originally  planned,  the  Association  for  the  young 
business  men  of  the  City.  Within  its  walls  still  linger 
memories  of  the  pioneer  days  in  Radley's  Hotel,  Ser- 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     169 

jeant's  Inn,  and  Gresham  Street.  While,  in  time, 
Exeter  Hall  became  the  central  headquarters  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Aldersgate  held 
its  position  as  its  home  in  the  heart  of  the  City. 

In  August  of  1855  George  Williams  was  one  of 
the  fifteen  English  delegates  at  the  first  general  Con- 
ference of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations 
held  in  Paris,  when  the  delegates  arrived  at  the  im- 
portant decision  that  the  affiliated  societies  in  all  parts 
of  the  world  should  be  "  one  in  principle  and  one  in 
operation,  preserving  independence  of  organisation 
and  modes  of  action." 

This  Conference  marks  the  beginning  of  the  Asso- 
ciation as  a  world-wide  organisation.  Reports  were 
received  from  all  the  countries  in  which  the  Associa- 
tion had  started  branches.  The  Swiss  Associations 
were  spoken  of  as  "  the  younger  brothers  of  those 
in  Germany  and  England,"  although  at  Bale  the 
members  traced  their  descent  from  the  Junglings- 
verein  founded  in  1787.  Here  the  organisers  of  the 
work  had  to  struggle  against  the  peculiar  difficulties 
of  Arianism  and  Socinianism  which  had  ravaged  the 
Churches,  and  the  struggle  had  put  them  under  the 
reproach  of  dogmatic  exclusiveness,  for  they  had 
been  compelled  to  deny  membership  to  many  of  "  un- 
fixed and  speculative  views  "  who  denied  that  Christ 
was  "  God  manifest  in  the  flesh."  In  Holland,  the 
Alliance  of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  was 
formed  in  1853,  one  Association  at  Rotterdam  having 


170  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

since  ceased  to  exist,  for  it  "  had  not  wished  to  break 
with  the  world."  In  connection  with  the  report  from 
Holland  some  regret  was  expressed  at  the  exclusive- 
ness  which  ruled  in  the  Dutch  Associations,  and  at 
the  maintenance  of  class  and  social  distinctions  which, 
said  one  speaker,  "  no  longer  exist  in  the  Christian 
brotherhood,"  but  which,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  exist 
to  this  day,  and  have  compelled  the  most  progressive 
Associations  to  recognise  that,  while,  as  one  of  the 
defenders  of  the  Dutch  Associations  stated  at  this 
early  date,  "  real  affection  and  fraternal  sympathy 
exist  between  the  branches,  young  artisans,  mechan- 
ics, and  labourers  who  gladly  come  to  the  classes  in 
rough  blouses  will  not  join  with  the  other  classes  of 
society  represented  at  other  gatherings."  It  was 
stated  at  the  time  by  George  Williams  that  in  London 
"  the  lawyer,  the  artist,  the  man  of  letters  and  of 
science,  and  the  working  man,  were  seen  associating 
with  those  engaged  in  commerce  in  the  same  Asso- 
ciation," but  it  is  now  generally  recognised  that  the 
most  promising  work  of  future  years  lies  in  the 
direction  of  definite  class  associations. 

The  report  from  Germany  was  of  a  most  encour- 
aging nature,  there  being  at  that  time  some  six 
thousand  members,  the  highest  authorities,  civil  and 
ecclesiastical,  having  expressed  their  sympathy  with 
the  work  in  many  ways ;  while  that  from  France 
spoke  of  the  members  of  the  Association  as  standing 
"  alone  in  their  desire  to  live  in  God  by  the  faith 


GROWTH    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION     171 

of  the  Gospel  in  the  midst  of  a  generation  sceptical 
and  immoral."  Mr.  Edwyn  Shipton,  the  Correspond- 
ing Secretary,  read  an  exhaustive  report  on  the  his- 
tory and  development  of  the  London  Association, 
in  which  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  no  direct  men- 
tion is  made  of  the  name  of  George  Williams.  He 
is  referred  to  only  as  "  the  originator  of  the  first 
meeting." 

From  America  came  a  long  account  of  the  rise  and 
growth  of  the  work  "  kindled  from  an  English  shrine," 
to  which  further  reference  will  be  made  in  a  later 
chapter.  But  the  Conference  had  a  more  practical 
outcome  than  the  reception  of  gratifying  reports.  It 
inaugurated  the  "  bond  of  union  "  between  different 
Associations,  which  was  to  impart  mutual  strength, 
and  to  express  the  "  inestimable  truth  "  of  the  sacred 
unity  of  the  Church  of  Christ  —  that  alliance  of 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations,  one  in  principle 
and  in  operation,  which  recognised  the  unity  existing 
among  the  Associations,  while  preserving  for  each  and 
all  complete  independence  in  organisation  and  modes 
of  action.  How  George  Williams  must  have  rejoiced 
in  that  day,  when  representatives  of  all  the  important 
Associations  in  Europe  and  America  united  upon  that 
common  and  permanent  basis  set  forth  in  the  words 
of  the  Conference  Resolution:  — 

"  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  seek 
to  unite  those  young  men  who,  regarding  Jesus  Christ 
as  their  God  and  Saviour  according  to  the  Holy  Scrip- 


172  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

tures,  desire  to  be  His  disciples  in  their  doctrine  and 
in  their  life,  and  to  associate  their  efforts  for  the 
extension  of  His  Kingdom  among  young  men.9' 

The  message  from  the  upper  room  had  conquered 
the  world. 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS    OF    THE 

YOUNG    MEN'S    CHRISTIAN 

ASSOCIATION 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE   CRITICAL   YEARS   OF   THE   YOUNG 
MEN'S   CHRISTIAN   ASSOCIATION 

THE  Conference  of  1855  marked  the  beginning 
of  the  most  critical  period  of  the  history  of  the 
Association.  As  a  more  or  less  localised  and  com- 
paratively unambitious  work  it  had  been  eminently 
successful.  It  had  now  to  undertake  world-wide 
responsibilities,  to  meet  which  many  changes  were 
needed  in  the  organisation,  and  there  was  no  small 
danger  that  in  grasping  all  it  might  lose  all.  Suc- 
cess, as  the  Secretary  of  the  Association  publicly 
stated,  was  at  that  moment  their  greatest  danger. 
There  was  the  danger,  too,  of  thinking  too  much  of 
the  organisation  of  the  Association,  of  looking  upon 
it  as  an  end  and  not  as  a  means,  of  looking  to  the 
agencies  "  to  accomplish  themselves  those  results  which 
we  can  only  have  by  the  influence  and  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit." 

One  of  the  first  results  of  the  Paris  Conference 
was  the  starting  of  a  General  Correspondence  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  which  should  be 
the  means  of  keeping  in  touch  with  the  progress  of 


176  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  work  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  it  is  noticeable, 
that,  at  first,  difficulty  was  experienced  in  inducing 
certain  branches,  notably  at  Dublin  and  Bristol,  to 
join  in  the  Confederation.  These  Associations  feared 
that  their  rules  of  membership  would  be  compromised 
by  their  adoption  of  the  Paris  Basis  and  Resolutions. 
This  misunderstanding  arose  from  the  fact  that  suffi- 
cient emphasis  had  not  been  laid  upon  the  preamble 
of  the  Basis  in  which  it  was  expressly  stated  that 
"  a  complete  independence  as  to  their  particular 
organisation  and  modes  of  action  "  is  to  be  preserved 
by  each  Association.  This  difficulty  was  only  over- 
come by  the  exercise  of  much  tact  and  consideration, 
and  George  Williams  was  kept  busy  writing  to  explain 
the  advantages  of  a  confederation  which  should 
strengthen  all  the  societies,  while  leaving  them  liberty 
of  individual  action. 

From  December,  1855,  the  minute  books  of  the 
Central  Committee  are  available,  and  it  is  at  once 
noticeable  what  a  prominent  part  George  Williams 
took  in  the  remodelling  of  the  work,  often  presiding 
at  meetings  and  speaking  as  the  chosen  representative 
of  the  Committee  on  many  important  occasions,  par- 
ticularly when  it  had  to  consider  the  question  of  the 
retirement  of  Mr.  Tarlton,  who  was  about  to  join 
the  ministry  of  the  Church,  and  the  appointment  of 
his  successor,  Mr.  Edwyn  Shipton. 

It  is  difficult  to  do  justice  to  the  part  played  by 
these  first  Secretaries  in  the  building  up  of  the  Young 


I  Si 

§  5 
11 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  177 

Men's  Christian  Association.  Two  more  devoted  and, 
in  their  several  ways,  more  brilliant  men  than  Mr. 
Tarlton  and  Mr.  Shipton  it  would  have  been  impos- 
sible to  find.  The  first  was  the  enthusiast,  the  orator ; 
the  second  the  statesman  and  the  organiser.  Mr. 
Shipton  would  have  succeeded  in  any  walk  of  life. 
He  relinquished  a  promising  business  in  order  to  give 
himself  wholly  to  the  work  for  young  men,  and  he 
brought  into  that  work  all  the  ability  and  fertility 
of  resource  of  a  successful  merchant.  His  tact,  his 
quickness,  his  grasp  of  detail,  his  breadth  of  mind, 
his  power  of  work,  and  his  tremendous  energy  were 
of  the  utmost  service  to  the  Association.  It  was  in 
a  large  measure  owing  to  him  that  the  work  so 
triumphantly  won  through  its  most  critical  years. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  George  Williams  composed 
a  set  of  rules  for  his  daily  life,  which  afford  some  idea 
of  the  strenuous  way  in  which  he  practised  what  he 
preached.  Among  the  few  papers  found  in  his  pri- 
vate drawer  after  his  death  was  one  dated  January 
6,  1856,  and  it  is  easy  to  see  that  it  had  often  been 
consulted  during  the  years  that  followed.  It  runs :  — 

The  Lord  be  pleased  to  help  me  to  form  resolutions 
and  then  give  me  grace  to  keep  them. 

That  I  determine  to  get  an  alarum  and  when  it 
goes  off  that  I  am  out  of  bed  before  it  has  finished. 

That  I  read  and  meditate  upon  a  portion  of  God's 
Word  every  morning  and  spend  some  time  in  prayer. 

That  I  strive  to  live  more  in  the  spirit  of  prayer. 
12 


178  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

That  I  do  not  parley  but  resist  at  once  the  various 
temptations  which  beset  me. 

That  I  resist  the  Devil  at  once,  however  he  may 
come  to  me. 

That  I  pray  more  for  my  dear  relatives  and  strive 
for  their  conversion. 

That  I  spend  some  time  in  praying  for  the  young 
men  at  St.  Paul's. 

That  I  have  certain  days  and  times  for  certain 
things  and  strive  to  be  regular  and  punctual. 

That  I  strive  to  gain  a  better  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures  and  have  Bible  readings  with  dear  Helen. 

That  I  read  these  resolutions  over  before  every 
ordinance  day. 

In  1857  we  find  the  first  mention  of  a  Committee 
meeting  at  George  Williams's  house  in  Woburn 
Square,  and  from  that  time  forth  meetings  of  the 
Committee  "  for  social  and  brotherly  intercourse " 
were  frequent  in  his  home.  It  was  in  this  year,  too, 
that  the  question  of  a  Youths'  Bible  class  came  up 
for  consideration,  and  received  the  warm  support  of 
George  Williams,  who  from  that  time  took  a  peculiar 
interest  in  the  "  Youths'  Section,"  now  one  of  the  most 
encouraging  and  useful  branches  of  the  work. 

In  the  following  year  the  tact  and  broadness  of 
George  Williams  were  well  illustrated  in  the  way 
in  which  he  dealt  with  the  very  difficult  questions  of 
creeds,  religious  and  political,  which  from  time  to  time 
agitated  the  Association.  It  was  reported,  for  in- 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  179 

stance,  that  the  Secretary  had  received  several  com- 
munications expressing  surprise  and  some  measure 
of  distress  on  hearing  that  the  Committee  contem- 
plated inviting  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  take  part  in  the  next 
course  of  lectures,  and  it  had  been  suggested  that, 
as  a  consequence  of  such  an  invitation,  the  society 
would  "  be  placed  in  some  difficulty  with  the  other 
gentlemen,  especially"  certain  dignitaries  of  the  Church 
of  England."  Gorge  Williams,  however,  took  a 
strong  line  on  the  absolutely  undenominational  basis 
of  the  Association.  He  was  then,  it  should  be  noted, 
a  regular  worshipper  at  Portman  Chapel,  which  he 
had  joined  soon  after  his  marriage  with  Miss  Hitch- 
cock, whose  family  were  all  members  of  the  Church 
of  England. 

It  was  at  this  time  also  that  some  attempts  were 
made  to  use  the  influence  of  the  society  at  an  election, 
but  George  Williams  made  a  point  of  disassociating 
himself  from  politics,  and  wisely  insisted  upon  the 
same  absolute  neutrality  in  all  the  officials  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. By  upbringing  he  was  a  Tory  of  the  old 
school,  and  all  his  days  he  was  by  nature  conser- 
vative in  outlook  and  temperament,  but  only  on  one 
occasion  was  he  tempted  to  take  any  active  part  in 
the  struggle  of  politics.  That  exception  was  during 
one  of  Bradlaugh's  famous  campaigns,  when  he  was 
urged  by  certain  members  of  the  Association  to  allow 
himself  to  be  nominated  as  a  Christian  candidate 
against  the  professedly  atheist  member.  For  a  time 


180  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

he  was  inclined  seriously  to  consider  the  proposal, 
but  after  consultation  with  a  number  of  influential 
friends  he  was  dissuaded  from  taking  any  part  in 
what  must  certainly  have  proved  a  most  disastrous 
campaign.  He  took  the  wise  view  that  his  defeat 
at  the  hands  of  Mr.  Bradlaugh  —  and  against  such 
an  antagonist  victory  was  out  of  the  question  - 
would  have  been  of  more  than  political  significance, 
would  have  been  advertised  by  the  opponents  of  Chris- 
tianity as  a  triumph  of  secularism.  Although  of  an 
intensely  patriotic  nature,  he  took  but  slight  interest 
in  questions  of  party  government.  He  was  sternly 
opposed  to  any  State  support  for  Roman  Catholicism, 
and  was  disturbed  by  the  growth  of  ritualistic  prac- 
tices, but  from  most  questions  of  debate  and  discus- 
sion he  deliberately  kept  apart,  assured  by  the  early 
threatenings  of  1859  that  in  a  very  short  time  the 
strife  and  bitterness  of  politics  might  ruin  the  Chris- 
tian work  of  years.  For  the  same  reason,  although 
he  was  a  life-long  abstainer  and  in  full  sympathy 
with  the  Temperance  and  Lord's  Day  Observance 
movements,  he  always  opposed  the  attempts  which 
were  made  more  than  once  to  affiliate  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  with  temperance  or  other 
societies.  He  had  but  one  work,  one  aim,  he  would 
often  say.  The  whole  purpose  and  desire  of  his  soul 
was  to  strengthen  the  religious,  the  Christian,  lives 
of  young  men,  and  from  this  single  work  for  the 
conversion,  the  improvement,  the  elevation  of  young 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  181 

men  —  to  him  the  grandest  work  in  the  world  —  he 
would  not  be  diverted  to  any  side  issue. 

In  1863  the  Committee  of  the  Association  put  on 
record  their  belief  in  the  great  importance  of  all 
means  by  which  the  minds  of  those  "  engaged  in  the 
active  duties  of  life  could  be  fitly  informed,  cultured, 
and  disciplined."  "  But,"  continues  the  manifesto, 
"  this  provision  of  nobler  engagements,  while  useful 
in  contrast  to  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  these  agen- 
cies of  educational  character,  the  lectures  on  topics 
of  general  interest,  the  library,  filled  with  works  of 
value  in  every  department  of  literature,  these  merely 
embody  and  express  Christian  sympathy.  The  one 
great  aim  of  the  Association  is  to  win  young  men 
for  the  Saviour."  Mutual  Improvement  Societies 
might  come  and  go,  Young  Men's  Societies  of  every 
class  and  degree  might  serve  their  time,  but  the  social 
needs  change  with  the  years,  and  a  society  for  social 
reform  signs  its  own  death  warrant  the  moment  that 
reform  is  achieved.  One  thing  stands  clearly  forth 
as  we  survey  the  history  of  work  for  young  men, 
not  merely  of  our  own  times,  but  of  the  years  that 
are  past.  It  is  this :  No  society  for  young  men  how- 
ever necessary,  however  useful  in  its  day  and  gen- 
eration, has  endured,  or  shall  endure,  for  more  than 
a  comparatively  limited  period  unless  it  keep  stead- 
fastly in  view  the  "  one  great  aim  "  set  forth  in  this 
statement  of  the  Committee. 

In  1857  the  finances  of  the  Association  began  to 


182  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

give  George  Williams  serious  cause  for  uneasiness. 
The  work  had  grown  beyond  its  resources.  There 
were  now  in  London  alone  well  over  1,200  members, 
and  it  was  part  of  George  Williams's  work  in  the 
years  that  followed  to  interest  in  the  Association 
those  who  were  able  to  give  largely  and  liberally.  In 
this  he  achieved  remarkable  success.  In  one  instance 
about  this  time  a  debt  of  over  £1,500  was  wiped  out 
within  the  year. 

For  George  Williams  personally  these  were  years 
of  peculiar  anxiety.  He  had  only  recently  been  made 
a  partner  in  the  firm,  and  business  and  family  affairs 
made  increasing  demands  upon  his  time  and  thought, 
while  the  illness  of  his  father-in-law  and  partner 
added  greatly  to  his  responsibilities. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  the  society  lost  the 
support  of  one  who  had  served  it  most  devotedly  from 
the  beginning,  and  whose  experience  and  capacity 
would  have  been  of  peculiar  value  in  view  of  the 
rapid  extension  of  the  work.  Mr.  George  Hitchcock 
died  in  1863.  In  the  history  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  insufficient  importance  has  per- 
haps been  attached  to  the  part  played  by  Mr.  Hitch- 
cock, for  although  the  idea  originated  with  George 
Williams  it  was  to  the  head  of  the  business  in  which 
he  was  employed  that  the  means  of  carrying  the 
idea  into  practical  effect  was  largely  due.  In  a  sense 
Mr.  Hitchcock  was  the  first  fruits  of  the  meeting  in 
the  upper  room,  for  he  always  took  delight  in  testi- 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  183 

fying  that  it  was  owing  to  the  prayers  and  to  the 
conduct  of  these  young  men  in  the  house  that  he 
came  out  strongly  on  the  side  of  Christ.  Into  his 
Christian  work  he  put  the  enthusiasm  and  strenuous 
endeavour  which  had  made  him  such  a  successful 
man  of  business.  It  is  interesting  to  remember  that 
George  Williams's  habit  of  speaking  words  of  warn- 
ing and  entreaty  to  all  those  who  sought  employment 
in  his  business  was  a  continuation  of  the  custom  of 
his  former  master,  of  whom  it  has  been  said  that  it 
was  "  in  his  house  of  business,  in  the  connections  to 
which  commercial  engagements  introduced  him,  in 
the  hundreds  of  persons  of  every  rank  and  condition 
who  came  to  him  for  counsel  and  aid,  that  he  found 
his  mission  for  Christ."  To  all  who  came  to  Mr. 
Hitchcock  in  search  of  work  the  inquiry,  "  What 
department  do  you  know?  "  was  followed  by  the  sharp, 
incisive  question,  "  Do  you  know  Christ?  "  a  question 
generally  followed  by  prayer  and  by  the  gift  of 
some  suitable  book.  Leaving  none  unwarned,  none 
without  an  earnest  plea  for  consecration  to  the 
Master's  service,  fearlessly  reproving  sin  and  un- 
belief, steadfastly  contending  for  the  faith,  jealously 
watching  against  the  introduction  of  opinions  which 
might  lead  men  from  the  simplicity  of  faith  in  Jesus, 
he  had  during  the  twenty  years  of  his  active  Chris- 
tian career  worked  without  ceasing  to  win  souls  to 
Christ.  At  the  opening  of  the  new  Association  build- 
ings in  Aldersgate  Street,  Mr.  Hitchcock  spoke  of 


184  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

his  work  in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard :  "  I  conceive  it 
is  my  duty,"  he  said,  "  as  God  gives  me  grace  to  do 
it,  to  sanctify  everything  in  the  Lord,  to  buy  and 
sell,  to  engage  young  men,  to  pay  them  their  salaries, 
to  give  them  social  comforts,  all  as  to  the  Lord.  If 
God  has  brought  these  young  men  under  my  influence, 
I  believe  that  to  be  a  talent  from  God,  which  I  am 
to  use  for  His  glory."  "  His  solicitous  efforts  and 
prayers,"  it  was  written  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
"  were  concentrated  on  the  immediate  spheres  of  ser- 
vice opened  to  him  in  the  providence  of  God ;  first  his 
family,  then  his  household,  then  those  who  served  him 
in  business,  then  the  members  of  the  same  trade,  the 
commercial  community  to  which  he  belonged,  then 
the  poor  and  degraded  inhabitants  of  the  City  in 
which  he  lived.  Beyond  these  regions  of  immediate 
concern,  the  missionary  cause  in  all  its  branches 
shared  his  generous  regard.  He  gave  to  the  latter 
of  his  substance;  to  the  former  he  gave  himself." 
The  fact  that  there  were  at  one  time  no  less  than 
seven  men  who  had  been  in  his  employ  preparing 
for  the  ministry  speaks  for  the  success  which  attended 
his  efforts. 

His  liberality  towards  the  Association  and  to  kin- 
dred works  was  open-handed  to  a  degree.  From  the 
first  he  undertook  the  difficult  position  of  Treasurer 
of  the  Association.  Not  only  was  his  financial  sup- 
port of  the  greatest  service,  but  the  fact  that,  from 
the  very  commencement,  a  large  employer  of  labour 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  185 

identified  himself  so  closely  with  the  work  was  of 
supreme  moment.  The  presence  of  Mr.  George 
Hitchcock  was  an  excellent  reply  to  the  suggestion 
that  this  association  of  young  employees  was  aimed 
against  those  in  authority,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
hearty  co-operation  of  a  successful  merchant  did  much 
to  secure  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
the  serious  consideration  of  other  employers. 

His  later  years  were  clouded  by  grievous  suffer- 
ings, which  left  him  unequal  to  the  cares  and  anx- 
ieties of  business,  and  it  accordingly  fell  to  the  lot 
of  his  devoted  son-in-law  to  undertake  the  control 
of  his  public  and  private  affairs.  Mr.  Hitchcock's 
death  added  greatly  to  George  Williams's  burden 
of  work  both  in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard  and  in  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  He  was  now  in 
sole  control  of  a  great  business,  and  at  the  same 
time  in  response  to  the  urgent  call  of  the  Association 
he  undertook  the  very  arduous  and  troublous  position, 
of  treasurer  of  the  Association. 

How  little  he  sought  publicity  in  connection  with 
his  work  is  shown  in  his  answer  to  Mr.  Bevan,  who 
conveyed  to  him  the  wish  of  the  Committee  that  he 
should  accept  the  position  of  Treasurer  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. He  writes :  "  After  mature  and  prayerful 
consideration  I  confess  to  some  reluctance  in  accept- 
ing the  invitation,  as  my  name  is  so  little  known  to 
the  general  public,  and  I  fear  the  Committee  have 
been  more  influenced  by  personal  regard  to  myself 


186  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

than  to  what  is  best  for  the  Association.  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  undertake  the  responsibility,  but  I  think 
the  Committee  would  act  more  wisely  in  selecting  for 
their  future  treasurer  a  gentleman  whose  name  would 
be  at  once  an  ornament  and  a  tower  of  strength." 

From  that  time  forward,  as  his  prosperity  in- 
creased, George  Williams  became  the  chief  financial 
stay  of  the  Association.  His  donations  from  first 
to  last  must  have  reached  great  figures.  "  When  an 
Association  was  in  debt,"  says  one  of  his  chief  helpers, 
"  I  have  often  heard  him  say,  '  Now,  Mr.  Hind  Smith, 
I  will  divide  this  cake.  I  will  give  half  if  you  will 
get  the  other  half.'  Very  often  before  a  meeting 
broke  up  we  had  cleared  the  Association  of  its  burden." 

It  is  impossible  to  give  any  idea  of  the  extent  of 
his  generosity  to  the  Association.  He  would  have 
rejoiced  that  this  is  so,  for  he  gave  on  old-fashioned 
lines,  delighting  to  keep  his  left  hand  in  ignorance 
of  his  right  hand's  doings.  In  the  records  of  the 
Society  one  is  constantly  coming  across  references  to 
his  munificent  donations  to  branches  in  all  parts  of 
the  world,  to  the  way  in  which,  in  times  of  financial 
stress,  he  was  always  ready,  not  only  to  give  largely 
himself,  but  to  stimulate  others  to  do  the  same. 

Mention  is  often  made  of  gifts  of  prizes  at  the 
Association  classes,  and  presents  of  books  —  both 
for  prizes  and  as  additions  to  libraries  —  are  fre- 
quently referred  to,  while  as  early  as  1872  we  find  him 
offering  to  the  Committee  a  sum  of  £200  towards 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  187 

wiping  out  the  debt,  which  "  has  long  impeded  the 
work  of  the  London  Association,"  as  a  practical  way 
of  "  showing  our  gratitude  that  God  has  mercifully 
delivered  us  from  the  dire  calamities  which  have  dis- 
tressed our  neighbours." 

Many  of  his  letters  to  provincial  secretaries  have 
come  into  my  hands,  and  it  is  delightful  to  notice 
the  unostentatious  way  in  which  the  help  is  given, 
the  almost  apologetic  tone  in  which  his  contribu- 
tion towards  the  funds  is  mentioned  casually  in  a 
postscript. 

It  was  in  the  year  1864  that  what  may  well  be 
termed  the  turning-point  of  the  Association  was 
reached.  The  time  had  come  for  a  critical  review 
of  the  work  of  past  years,  in  order  that  the  lines  of 
future  progress  might  be  exactly  considered  and  laid 
down.  The  Exeter  Hall  Lectures  had  ceased  to  be 
a  marked  success,  and  had,  indeed,  caused  friction 
among  the  members  on  account  of  certain  statements 
of  some  of  the  speakers.  Other  means  of  forwarding 
the  work  had  to  be  devised,  and  it  was  of  the  utmost 
importance  that  the  Basis  adopted  at  the  Paris  Con- 
ference of  1855  should  be  universally  recognised  and 
upheld  with  enthusiasm,  and  that  the  general  unity 
of  the  work  should  be  acknowledged  by  all,  especially 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  several  Associations  had 
lately  shown  signs  of  departing  from  first  principles, 
while  others  were  in  a  more  or  less  moribund  condi- 


188  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

tion,  or  had  become  institutions  existing  merely  for 
the  advancement  of  education  and  good  fellowship. 
A  meeting  of  delegates  from  most  of  the  Associa- 
tions in  Great  Britain  was  held  at  Edinburgh  in 
July  of  this  year,  and  into  the  work  of  this  Confer- 
ence George  Williams  threw  himself  heart  and  soul. 
His  attitude  was  that  of  a  general  reviewing  the 
battalions  before  the  battle. 

The  first  burning  question  that  came  up  for  settle- 
ment was  the  attitude  of  the  Association  to  the  Church. 
This  had  been  a  difficulty  from  the  first,  but  lately 
it  had  become  acute,  and  George  Williams  took  at 
once  the  3trong  line  that  the  work  he  had  founded 
had  always  been  intended  as  an  auxiliary  to  the 
Church;  that,  in  fact,  it  had  proved  a  great  gain 
to  the  Church.  It  was  contended  that  the  movement 
had  taken  away  certain  Sunday  School  teachers,  but 
even  if  that  were  the  case  the  Church  had  been 
repaid  tenfold.  "  With  the  grain  taken  from  the 
heap,"  he  told  his  hearers,  "  it  has  reaped  many 
more."  No  encouragement  was  given  to  young  men 
to  remain  "  learners  in  the  Lord's  vineyard."  The 
message  of  the  Association  was,  "  Get  to  work !  Do 
something  for  Christ !  "  At  the  same  time  it  was 
rightly  pointed  out  that  many  young  men  could  only 
be  reached  by  an  organisation  which  was  willing  to 
sink  denominational  lines  of  distinction,  which  had 
for  its  chief  object  the  winning  of  young  men  to 
Christ,  and,  after  they  had  been  won,  sought  to  ally 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  189 

them  to  whatever  section  of  the  Church  they  might 
favour.  However  much  might  still  be  done  inside 
the  pale  of  any  one  section  of  the  Church,  there 
remained,  it  was  contended,  a  still  vaster  field  outside, 
and  much  of  this  work  could  be  most  effectually  ac- 
complished by  such  an  organisation  as  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association. 

It  was  inevitable  that  in  such  a  discussion  as  this 
the  whole  question  of  sectarianism  should  arise.  The 
example  of  the  Association  had  led  to  the  formation 
in  many  towns  of  denominational  Associations,  and 
there  could  be  no  doubt  that,  in  certain  quarters, 
ministers  of  various  denominations  were  inclined  to 
look  upon  a  central,  unsectarian  association  with  a 
jealous,  if  not  an  unfriendly,  eye.  The  dangers  of 
allowing  the  work  to  take  on  any  semblance  of  de- 
nominationalism  were  well  illustrated  by  the  example 
of  a  large  city  in  which  an  excellently  intentioned 
Baptist  minister  endeavoured  to  start  an  Association, 
but  neglected  to  invite  to  the  first  meeting  represen- 
tatives from  other  Churches.  The  society  thus  formed 
was  dead  within  six  weeks.  In  another  case  a  flour- 
ishing Association  was  rapidly  killed  by  the  simple 
expedient  of  moving  its  Sunday  Bible  class  from  the 
Town  Hall  to  a  Wesleyan  schoolroom,  and  in  a  third 
society  sectarian  feeling  was  aroused  by  the  invita- 
tion given  to  the  vicar  to  preside  over  the  gather- 
ings, with  the  result  that  the  attendance  at  the  Bible 
class  and  devotional  meeting  soon  suffered. 


190  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

It  was  suggested  at  the  time  that  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  might  serve  its  best  purpose 
by  becoming  a  kind  of  "  feeder  "  for  these  newly 
formed  denominational  societies,  but  it  is  well  that 
such  a  scheme  met  with  the  most  determined  and  im- 
mediate opposition.  The  difficulty  of  keeping  de- 
nominational associations  for  young  men  in  anything 
approaching  a  flourishing  condition  —  especially  in 
small  towns  —  had  already  become  sufficiently  evident, 
and  has  been  felt  increasingly  with  the  years,  and 
proof  was  given  again  and  again  at  this  Conference 
that  by  leaving  the  choice  open  to  young  men,  while 
always  insisting  upon  the  importance  of  member- 
ship in  some  Christian  Church  and  never  regarding 
membership  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion as  a  substitute  for  Church  membership,  the  best 
ends  of  religious  activity  were  served.  As  a  matter 
of  practical  experience  it  was  found  that  one  of  the 
chief  values  of  the  Association  lay  in  the  fact  that 
it  formed  a  neutral  meeting  ground  for  members 
of  all  sects  and  denominations,  and  it  would  have 
been  nothing  less  than  disastrous  if  anything  had  been 
done  to  interfere  with  this  admirable  freedom  of 
Christian  intercourse. 

As  an  example  of  the  catholicity  of  the  work  it 
was  stated  that  at  an  Association  meeting  held  about 
this  time,  it  was  discovered  that  among  those  engaged 
in  a  most  amicable  and  profitable  discussion  upon 
"  Christ  fulfilling  the  Law,"  were  a  hyper-Calvinist, 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  191 

a  Broad  Churchman,  a  Plymouth  brother,   a  fierce 
Millenarian,  an  Irvingite,  and  a  Swedenborgian. 

There  were  then,  as  there  are  still,  those  ardent 
sectarians  who  share  in  the  opinion  of  a  certain 
clergyman,  that  the  connection  of  young  men  of  his 
Church  "  with  persons  of  different  views  took  some- 
thing out  of  them  and  disqualified  them  from  being 
as  useful  as  they  ought  to  be,"  or  of  an  anonymous 
correspondent,  to  whom  the  Rev.  Dr.  Miller  referred 
at  the  annual  meeting  of  1860,  who  protested  against 
his  attendance  at  "  an  essentially  Dissenting  Society." 
The  answer  given  at  that  time  might  well  serve  as 
long  as  the  Association  lasts.  "  We  have  not  found 
that  the  association  of  believing  men  for  active  efforts 
in  the  service  of  the  Redeemer  has  tended  to  diminish 
their  piety  or  disqualify  them  for  usefulness."  Such 
results  as  those  feared  by  this  clergyman,  and  by 
the  anonymous  correspondent,  could  never  be  pos- 
sible as  long  as  the  Associations  were  doing  their 
proper  work.  "  Any  young  man,"  wrote  the  Sec- 
retary —  and  it  is  clear  that  he  had  the  whole  Com- 
mittee, and  particularly  George  Williams,  at  his 
back  when  he  made  the  reply,  for  he  stated  that  "  an 
attached  member  of  the  Church  of  England "  was 
guiding  his  pen  — "  Any  young  man  who  uses  or 
seeks  to  use  his  position  among  us  to  bring  others  to 
his  opinions  and  to  advance  the  interests  of  his  own 
sect  is  a  traitor  to  our  principles,  and  if  the  fact  were 
proved  against  him  he  would  be  excluded  from  our 


192  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

fellowship.  The  only  work  we  have  to  do  is  to  win, 
young  men  from  sin  to  holiness,  to  instruct  those 
who  are  ignorant,  and  to  guide  and  uphold  those 
who  desire  to  walk  in  the  paths  of  virtue  and  truth. 
If  our  members  are  doing  this  work,  they  will  have 
no  time  and  they  will  certainly  acquire  no  disposition 
to  enter  into  matters  of  ecclesiastical  strife.  If  mem- 
bers of  different  sections  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
think  they  can  best  serve  their  Lord  and  aid  young 
men  by  forming  denominational  societies,  our  best 
wishes  will  go  with  them,  but  we  must  protest  against 
their  using  our  Catholic  designation.  A  Church  of 
England  Young  Men's  Society,  or  a  Nonconformist 
Young  Men's  Union,  are  understandable  things  as 
conveying  the  idea  of  fellowship  among  those  of  one 
class,  but  the  term  Association  was  selected  by  us 
specially  to  indicate  the  union  of  Christian  young 
men  of  different  Churches,  and  we  hope  that  truth 
and  fairness  will  prevent  the  name  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  being  adopted  for  any 
party  or  sectarian  ends." 

It  is  of  importance  to  remember,  in  view  of  the 
suggestion  that  this  was  a  Dissenting  Society,  that, 
according  to  the  advice  of  the  London  Committee 
about  this  time,  the  secretary  of  a  new  Association 
should,  "  other  things  being  equal,  be  a  Churchman, 
to  avoid  all  appearance  of  proselytism." 

Another  matter  discussed  was  the  value  of  the 
Bible  class  as  a  part  of  the  work  of  the  Association, 


SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 
From  a  photograph  taken  about  1870 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  193 

a  subject  very  near  George  Williams's  heart,  while 
a  paper  was  read  on  "  Prayer  as  Essential  to  Chris- 
tian Usefulness,"  in  connection  with  which  George 
Williams  mentioned  several  instances  —  already  re- 
ferred to  in  the  story  of  the  Upper  Room  —  of  the 
spirit  of  prayer  which  animated  the  first  members 
of  the  Association.  "  In  prayer  for  ourselves  and 
others  whom  we  desire  to  be  brought  to  Jesus,"  he 
said,  "  is  our  strength.  We  may  commit  no  end  of 
blunders,  we  may  be  as  weak  as  nothing,  but  if  we 
will  only  pray  we  may  be  as  strong  as  the  omnipotent 
strength  of  God  can  make  us." 

During  the  following  days  addresses  were  deliv- 
ered on  "  The  Condition  and  Means  of  Usefulness," 
those  present  comparing  experiences  of  the  value  of 
various  agencies,  of  devotional  meetings  and  tract 
distribution  campaigns,  and  other  methods  of  stimu- 
lating work  among  individual  members.  One  of  the 
most  important  events  of  the  Conference  was  the  long 
and,  at  times,  heated  discussion  on  the  use  of  amuse- 
ments in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  at 
which  the  theory,  hitherto  accepted  by  many  of  the 
workers,  that  "  young  men  should  be  left  to  find 
their  amusements  for  themselves,"  was  vigorously 
attacked  as  one  of  the  gravest  dangers  in  the  work. 
Speeches  in  defence  of  making  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  "  a  place  of  resort  for  young 
men,"  were  delivered  by  many  of  the  delegates,  while 
several  of  the  secretaries  bore  their  testimony  that 

13 


194  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  news-room,  the  library,  and  the  introduction  of 
amusements  had  helped  rather  than  hindered  the 
great  fundamental  purpose  for  which  the  society 
existed.  These  speakers  laid  stress  upon  the  mission- 
ary character  of  Association  work  as  defined  in  its 
original  rules,  and  in  view  of  such  a  definition  felt 
that  anything  in  the  way  of  harmless  recreation 
which  would  attract  young  men  to  the  buildings  of 
the  Association  would  be  of  benefit,  and  would  thus 
bring  them  under  the  influence  of  the  Gospel. 

At  the  same  time  it  must  be  admitted  that  this 
was  not  always  the  interpretation  of  the  scope  of  the 
work  favoured  by  the  London  Committee,  with  which 
George  Williams  was  most  closely  connected,  and 
which  came  into  somewhat  unpleasant  prominence  a 
few  years  later  in  connection  with  what  became  known 
as  the  Punch  incident.  It  appears  that  a  question 
was  raised  in  a  meeting  of  the  Dover  Association, 
as  to  the  retention  of  Punch  in  the  reading-room,  and 
certain  persons  present,  according  to  the  record  in 
the  Association's  Quarterly  Messenger,  "  pressed  for 
its  continuance  on  grounds  altogether  wide  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  while  others 
better  instructed  as  to  the  Association  resisted  it  on 
grounds  which  we  think  equally  untenable  as  regards 
the  publication  in  question."  It  was  on  this  occasion 
that  the  Rev.  Hugh  Price  Hughes  first  came  into 
conflict  with  a  certain  section  of  the  Committee,  and 
although  throughout  his  life  he  never  forgot  the 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  195 

incident,  or  completely  forgave  the  Association,  he 
was  more  than  once  in  later  years  a  welcome  speaker 
at  its  public  meetings.  Punch  was  excluded  from 
the  Dover  reading-rooms  as  a  publication  "  con- 
temptuous of  religious  influences,  if  not  absolutely 
hostile  to  them."  The  matter  was  taken  up  in  the 
most  scornful  manner  by  the  press  throughout  the 
country.  Mr.  Hugh  Price  Hughes  and  others  lost 
no  time  in  calling  a  special  meeting  to  reconsider  the 
question.  The  picture  in  question  was  "  triumph- 
antly produced  "  by  one  of  the  Dover  members  from 
a  back  number  of  Punch,  and  contained  a  humorous 
illustration  of  an  old  lady  imparting  to  a  sympa- 
thetic friend  the  fact,  that  although  she  permitted 
Susan  ("It's  true  she's  a  Dissenter!")  to  go  to 
chapel  three  times  a  Sunday  since  she  had  been  with 
her,  she  did  n't  cook  a  bit  better  than  she  did  the 
first  day !  This,  argued  the  member,  was  a  sneer  at 
religion,  but  as  Punch  on  May  25,  1871,  in  a  biting 
article  entitled  "  Dolts  at  Dover,"  asserted,  the  mean- 
ing of  the  picture  was  the  exact  reverse  of  that 
imagined.  Mr.  Hughes,  as  his  daughter  recounts, 
"  laboured  with  the  greatest  courtesy  and  understand- 
ing, quoting  Elijah  and  the  other  prophets  to  prove 
to  the  narrow-minded  and  prejudiced  the  fact  that 
the  prophets  themselves  indulged  in  humour,  and  the 
Saviour  Himself  in  satire."  He  carried  the  day  by 
four  votes,  and  Punch  presented  him  with  his  "  royal 
thanks  "  in  the  next  issue.  The  matter  was  referred 


196  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

to  the  London  Committee,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to 
trace  the  influence  of  George  Williams  in  the  reply 
of  the  Secretary,  which  is  worth  quoting  as  showing 
how  he  regarded  the  work  of  the  Association,  and 
how  his  outlook  and  sympathies  broadened  in  the 
years  that  followed. 

"  With  the  provision  of  opportunities  for  religious 
culture  and  of  education  under  religious  sanctions, 
our  engagements,"  writes  the  Secretary,  "  with  young 
men  are  fulfilled.  We  have  never  proposed  to  our- 
selves, or  in  any  manner  undertaken,  to  cater  for  the 
recreation  of  young  men,  even  in  directions  which 
are  both  lawful  and  expedient.  The  provision  of 
recreative  literature  would  stand  on  the  same  ground 
as  the  provision  of  physical  recreations  or  other  law- 
ful amusements.  It  should  not  be  looked  for  in  con- 
nection with  the  arrangements  for  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association." 

It  was  on  this  ground,  and  on  this  ground  alone, 
that  the  Committee  advised  the  Association,  "  stead- 
fastly to  resist  the  admission  of  Punch  into  the 
reading-room."  At  the  same  time  the  Secretary  was 
quite  unable  to  concur  with  the  views  expressed  by 
certain  members  as  to  the  contents  of  Punch,  which, 
he  contended,  were  not  shared  by  religious  people 
generally.  "  We  all  know,"  he  writes,  "  that  Punch 
is  largely  read  in  religious  families,  and  is  sometimes 
quoted  admiringly  even  in  the  columns  of  the  Record, 
the  religious  journal  most  tenacious  in  matters  of  this 


SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  IN  1876 
From  a  photograph  taken  during  his  visit  to  America 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  197 

kind."  Punchy  indeed,  was  praised  as  having  taken 
a  common-sense  view  of  matters  relating  to  religion 
brought  under  public  discussion,  and  while,  as  in 
the  case  of  most  journals,  "  the  watchful  eye  of  the 
editor  may  not  always  catch  turns  of  expression 
which  may  give  pain  to  devout  persons,"  the  Dover 
members  were  advised  to  remember  how  much  there 
was  of  good  in  the  publication,  rather  than  to  be 
over-sensitive,  when  it  pointed  out  the  weaknesses 
"  which  belong  to  a  great  many  religious  persons, 
and  of  which,  possibly,  we  ourselves  have  only  too 
large  a  share." 

As  showing  how  carefully  the  Central  Committee 
guarded  the  absolute  neutrality  of  the  Association  in 
matters  of  discussion  between  Church  and  Dissent,  one 
further  paragraph  deserves  quotation :  — 

"  I  do  not  like,"  writes  the  Secretary,  "  to  be  a 
mere  critic  of  men  with  whose  religious  sentiments 
I  concur,  but  it  would  seem  to  me  that  your  Presi- 
dent exhibited  a  great  want  of  tact  in  producing  the 
4  Jemima '  L  illustration,  since  it  appears  to  have 
afforded  to  a  minister  of  religion  present  an  occasion 
for  violating  the  neutrality  of  your  Association  by 
introducing  a  sneer  at  what  he  was  pleased  to  call 
the  State  Establishment." 

The  Edinburgh  Conference  was  the  first  of  a  long 
series  held  every  few  years  in  different  cities  and  dif- 

1  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  was  "  Susan,"  not  "  Jemima." 


198  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

ferent  countries,  and  although  George  Williams  was 
present  at  most  of  these,  little  wculd  be  gained  by 
any  attempt  to  review  the  topics  rrised  and  discussed 
at  such  gatherings.  The  Conference  of  1864  merits, 
however,  special  notice,  for  it  established  the  work 
on  the  firmest  foundation,  it  faced  the  growing  diffi- 
culties boldly  and  in  a  thoroughly  businesslike  man- 
ner, while  reaffirming  the  Association's  adherence  to 
the  principles  underlying  the  work  at  its  commence- 
ment. It  must  not  be  forgotten,  in  justice  to  those 
whose  views  may  now  appear  almost  absurdly  narrow, 
whose  idea  of  the  work  seems  almost  petty  and  piti- 
fully circumscribed,  that  it  was  as  a  result  of  min- 
imising the  importance  of  the  definite  religious  basis 
of  the  Association  that  so  many  societies  at  this  time 
came  to  grief.  Certain  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciations had  so  far  departed  from  "  first  principles  " 
that  they  admitted  to  membership  any  young  men 
who  "  professed  to  believe  in  the  Evangelical  doc- 
trines of  Christianity,"  but  in  a  few  years  their  work 
was  undermined,  the  Bible  class  and  devotional  meet- 
ings abandoned,  and  they  passed  into  oblivion.  It 
may  be  said  that,  without  exception,  those  who 
departed  from  the  original  lines  laid  down  by  the 
rules  were  marked  for  failure. 

The  Conference  of  1864,  while  insisting  with 
the  deepest  earnestness  upon  the  necessity  of  what 
appeared  to  some  as  a  narrow  definition  of 


THE    CRITICAL    YEARS  199 

eligibility  for  membership  — "  decided  evidence  of 
conversion  "  -  yet  opened  the  way  for  a  wonderful 
extension  of  the  Association  in  all  directions,  and 
laid  the  foundation  for  its  ultimate,  far-reaching 
success. 


THE   YEARS    OF   PROGRESS 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  YEARS   OF   PROGRESS 

THE  Conference  of  1864  marks  the  end  of  the 
critical  years,  and  the  beginning  of  established 
and  certain  success.  The  Association  had  come  of 
age,  had  passed  triumphantly  through  the  testing 
days  of  early  manhood,  and  entered  now  on  a  period 
of  ever-widening  influence.  It  does  not  belong  to  the 
plan  of  this  book  to  trace  in  anything  like  detail 
the  work  of  the  thirty  years,  which  culminated  in 
the  Jubilee  of  the  Association  in  1894.  Nor  would 
I  burden  this  biography  with  analyses  of  reports  and 
statistical  records.  I  propose  in  this  chapter  to  note 
certain  landmarks  in  the  years  of  progress,  land- 
marks which  tell  of  the  way  George  Williams  and  his 
friends  had  been  led,  and  of  the  means  they  employed 
to  ensure  and  increase  the  prosperity  of  the  work 
of  their  hands. 

One  might  dwell  on  the  wonderful  annual  meetings 
of  such  years  as  1868,  when  there  stood  side  by  side 
with  George  Williams,  on  the  platform  of  Exeter 
Hall,  the  noble  figures  of  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury 
and  Mr.  Spurgeon,  both  racked  with  pain,  both  full 


204  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

of  unbounded  faith  and  enthusiasm,  both  received 
with  acclamation  by  the  vast  crowds  of  young  men; 
or  upon  that  moving  scene  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
1872,  when  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  his  voice  trem- 
bling with  emotion,  spoke  of  the  misgivings  he  had 
harboured  that  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion might  become  tainted  "  with  the  abominable 
leprosy  that  is  abroad  —  that  opposition  to  the  re- 
tention of  the  Word  of  God  in  the  elementary  schools, 
to  be  established  by  the  school  boards."  There  must 
still  be  many  who  can  remember  how  his  voice  rang 
out  as  he  said,  "  This  I  will  say,  that  we  must  stand 
steadfastly  by  the  great  principle  of  holding  the  Word 
of  God  to  be  indispensable  as  the  basis,  the  middle, 
and  the  end  of  all  our  education.  If,  in  the  least 
degree,  to  the  extent  of  a  hair's  breadth  you  depart 
from  that  principle,  you  may  remove  me  out  of 
this  chair,  and  find  some  other  man  to  sit  in  it, 
for  whilst  I  draw  my  feeble  breath  never  shall  you 
see  me  in  your  presence  again."  One  might,  indeed, 
write  at  length  of  anniversary  after  anniversary,  for 
this  annual  meeting  of  the  Association  —  bringing 
together  on  one  platform,  as  it  has  always  done 
and  will  continue  to  do,  many  of  the  most  striking 
figures  in  the  Christian  Church  —  will  ever  be  one 
of  the  religious  events  of  the  year. 

At  each  of  the  gatherings  during  the  thirty  years, 
there  was  abundant  evidence  of  increasing  power  and 
usefulness,  and  an  important  landmark  is  the  state- 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS          205 

ment  hidden  away  in  one  of  the  reports,  that  the 
young  men  in  the  employment  of  the  great  firm  of 
Messrs.  I.  &  R.  Morley  had  so  developed  their  "  mis- 
sionary "  society,  that  many  of  the  men  in  the  house 
were  now  actively  engaged  in  Sunday  and  Ragged 
schools,  in  organising  banking  and  clothing  clubs, 
evening  classes,  mothers'  meetings,  temperance  socie- 
ties, and  Sunday  and  week-night  services  in  the  Mis- 
sion Hall  at  Golden  Lane.  This  was  the  splendid 
way  in  which  the  idea  of  the  Association  was  taken 
up  in  various  parts  of  the  City  and  adapted  to 
varying  needs.  There  were,  for  instance,  in  George 
Williams's  own  house  of  business,  a  Young  Men's 
Missionary  Society,  the  object  of  which  was  "  to 
supply  and  sustain  spiritual  influences  among  the 
members  of  the  establishment,  to  enlist  sympathy  on 
behalf  of  the  spiritual  destitution  in  the  vast  Metrop- 
olis, and  in  the  still  more  vast  and  destitute  regions 
in  foreign  countries,"  various  Bible  and  prayer  meet- 
ings, collections  for  the  support  of  missions  at  home 
and  abroad,  a  definite  mission  carried  on  in  connec- 
tion with  night  schools  and  lectures  in  a  densely 
populated  district  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Paul's. 
In  the  famous  firm  of  Messrs.  Copestake,  Moore  & 
Co.,  many  excellent  lecturers  were  provided,  chiefly 
under  the  auspices  of  that  great  merchant  and  philan- 
thropist, Mr.  George  Moore,  while  similar  associa- 
tions had  been  formed  in  a  number  of  other  important 
houses  of  business.  These  meetings  were  all  under 


206  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  supervision  of  members  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  the  Committee  of  the 
Association  was  constantly  exercising  its  influence 
upon  each  of  these  local  assemblies,  the  officers  at- 
tending from  time  to  time  and  assisting  in  various 
ways  in  their  management.  Owing,  undoubtedly,  to 
the  influence  of  the  Association,  and  in  particular 
to  George  Williams's  example,  the  provisions  made 
by  many  of  the  largest  employers  in  the  drapery 
business  for  the  comfort  of  their  assistants  were 
greatly  improved,  while  in  connection  with  many  of 
the  houses  Mutual  Improvement  and  similar  societies 
were  introduced  with  great  success. 

The  London  report  of  1869  affords  a  good  sur- 
vey of  the  attainments  and  scope  of  Association  work 
during  these  middle  years.  Special  attention  is  drawn 
to  the  number  of  largely  attended  Bible  classes,  the 
object  of  which  was  to  assist  those  who  were  prepar- 
ing for  religious  work,  and  from  which  the  Ragged 
and  Sunday  schools  of  the  Metropolis  were  constantly 
supplied  with  teachers.  The  attendance  at  these 
classes  was  recruited  by  the  systematic  distribution 
of  tracts  and  papers  among  young  men  by  an  organ- 
ised band  of  recruiting  agents.  Such  work  was  proof 
of  the  fact  that  the  Society,  in  the  words  of  one  of 
its  manifestoes,  "does  not  exist  as  an  agency  in  com- 
petition with  other  agencies  on  a  similar  field.  It 
occupies  its  own  ground,  goes  where  others  cannot 
go,  and  having  done  its  best  to  train  its  members  to 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS         207 

the  love  and  the  exemplification  of  the  things  that 
are  honest,  just,  pure,  lovely,  and  of  good  report, 
brings  all  the  result  of  its  work  into  the  service  of 
the  Christian  Church,  pressing  upon  every  young 
man  who  is  won  to  the  acceptance  of  religion  and 
the  service  of  Christ,  the  duty  of  Christian  fellowship 
in  connection  with  some  section  of  Christ's  holy, 
Catholic  Church."  Mention  is  also  made  of  many 
devotional  meetings,  and  of  addresses  at  social  gather- 
ings, at  which  the  Committee  provided  hospitality  for 
a  large  company  of  young  men  gathered  from  the 
commercial  houses  of  the  City  to  the  number  of  from 
six  hundred  to  seven  hundred  on  each  occasion.  These 
social  evenings  were  generally  presided  over  by  one  of 
the  leading  merchants  of  the  City,  while  the  addresses 
were  given  by  ministers  of  various  denominations. 

Another  feature  of  the  London  Association  was 
the  daily  noon  prayer  meeting  at  Aldersgate  Street 
which  "  became  the  resort  of  many  earnest  and  faith- 
ful servants  of  God,  and  was  regarded  by  them  as 
an  important  aid  to  the  due  prosecution  of  the  en- 
gagements of  business  as  well  as  a  means  of  strength 
and  solace  amidst  trials  and  difficulties."  As  has 
already  been  stated,  George  Williams  attended  the 
noon  prayer  meeting,  whenever  he  was  in  the  City, 
presiding  each  Thursday,  when  the  special  subject 
for  prayer  was  always  "  The  Conversion  of  the  Chil- 
dren of  Godly  Parents."  Side  by  side  with  the  purely 
religious  work,  the  Association  was  increasing  its 


208  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

educational  work,  and  a  number  of  classes  met  each 
week  at  Aldersgate  Street.  Meetings  in  French  and 
German  for  foreign  members  of  the  Association  in 
London  were  also  held,  and  in  1869  certain  friends 
of  the  Association  raised  a  fund  for  the  employment 
of  a  travelling  agent  to  reorganise  Associations  which 
had  become  inefficient,  and  to  form  new  societies.  This 
move  was  due  entirely  to  the  way  in  which  George 
Williams  had  impressed  upon  the  Committee  "  the 
duty  and  importance  of  seeking  to  extend  the  work 
of  the  Association  to  the  great  towns  of  the  country." 
In  reviewing  the  work  in  the  provinces  he  had  been 
struck  by  the  small  number  of  Associations  in  com- 
parison with  the  need  and  the  opportunity,  with  the 
weakness  of  much  of  the  organisation  in  country  dis- 
tricts, and  had  applied  personally  to  some  friends  of 
the  work  for  assistance  in  starting  this  special  fund. 
He  himself  headed  the  list  with  £100,  and  obtained 
promises  for  a  similar  sum  from  Mr.  R.  C.  L.  Bevan, 
Mr.  Samuel  Morley,  and  Mr.  J.  D.  Allcroft.  There 
were  two  special  grounds  for  the  employment  of 
a  travelling  representative.  Many  Associations  in 
reality  connected  with  particular  Churches  had  been 
formed  throughout  the  country,  and  had  taken  the 
title  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  thus 
compromising  its  catholicity  and  missionary  character. 
On  the  other  hand  many  societies  "  offering  to  young 
men  the  advantages  of  literary  culture  and  social 
intercourse  and  making  good  moral  character  a  con- 


I; 

A 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS          209 

dition  of  membership"  had  taken  upon  themselves  to 
use  the  name  of  "Christian"  Association.  It  was  not, 
said  the  Secretary  in  supporting  George  Williams's 
plan,  possible  to  make  any  effectual  protest  against 
these  assumptions  except  by  the  provision  of  the 
"  real  thing."  As  a  result  of  one  year's  work  by  the 
new  Travelling  Secretary,  one  Association  was  thor- 
oughly remodelled,  and  ten  of  the  older  societies  were 
visited  and  assisted  to  adjust  and  improve  their 
methods,  while  new  Associations  were  formed  at  twenty 
different  centres.  In  the  following  year  special  work 
was  started  among  Sunday  excursionists  at  Padding- 
ton  Station.  On  Sunday  evenings  similar  efforts  were 
put  forth  among  the  crowds  in  Hyde  Park,  where  the 
members  of  the  Association  were  among  the  first  to 
commence  open-air  preaching  when  the  parks  were 
thrown  open  for  the  purpose  a  few  years  previously. 
In  several  of  the  low  lodging  houses  services  were 
held  on  Sunday  evenings,  while  on  Saturday  evenings 
members  were  stationed  at  the  doors  of  music  halls 
and  theatres  to  invite  those  entering  to  come  to  the 
services  of  the  Association,  and  "  to  endeavour  by 
personal  influence  and  conversation  to  lead  them  to 
reflect  upon  their  course."  On  one  occasion  at  a 
social  meeting  given  at  a  Branch  Association  by  Mr. 
Bevan,  no  less  than  forty  of  the  young  men  present 
had  received  their  invitations  on  entering  some  place 
of  amusement  the  previous  Saturday  evening. 

A  detailed  account   of  the   activities   of  members 
14 


210  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

of  the  Association  in  various  houses  of  business  is 
to  be  found  in  one  of  their  periodicals  about  this  time, 
and  affords  eloquent  testimony  to  the  far-reaching 
effects  of  the  work.  This  was  not  confined  to  the 
cities,  for  we  read  of  a  nine-years-old  village  Asso- 
ciation, consisting  at  the  beginning  of  ten  members, 
which  had  entirely  changed  the  religious  life  of  the 
community  and  had  started  a  spirit  of  revival  which 
had  wakened  the  whole  district. 

In  1873  mention  is  first  made  of  the  visits  and  ad- 
dresses of  Mr.  D.  L.  Moody,  and  although  his  work 
was  not  directly  connected  with  the  Association,  it 
owed  much  of  its  success  of  organisation  to  George 
Williams  and  his  friends,  who  worked  night  and  day 
to  forward  Moody's  campaign.  It  was  largely  due, 
indeed,  to  George  Williams's  personal  efforts  that 
Mr.  Moody  came  to  London,  and  the  two  became  on 
terms  of  intimate  acquaintanceship.  Mr.  Moody  was 
a  great  believer  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, declaring  that  in  his  preparation  for  spirit- 
ual work,  he  owed  more  to  the  Association  than  to 
any  other  human  agency,  and  while  in  London  he 
addressed  a  series  of  special  meetings  for  young  men 
at  the  Association's  headquarters  in  Aldersgate  Street. 
When  an  effort  was  being  made  in  Liverpool  to  raise 
funds  for  a  new  building,  Mr.  Moody,  in  the  course 
of  a  passionate  appeal,  said  that  he  believed  there 
was  no  Christian  work  in  England  or  America  which 
was  so  little  understood,  and  for  which  there  was 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS 

so  little  sympathy  as  this  Association.  The  reason 
was  that  not  one  man  out  of  a  hundred  took  pains 
to  inquire  into  its  objects.  They  had  an  idea  that 
because  such  Associations  did  not  exist  in  the  days 
of  their  fathers,  they  were  unnecessary  now.  But 
other  times,  other  manners.  Fifty  years  ago  when 
young  men  came  to  the  cities  their  employers  took  a 
fatherly  interest  in  them.  "  I  contend,"  he  said  with 
growing  Vehemence,  "  that  they  do  not  do  so  now. 
In  those  days  an  employer  felt  himself  responsible 
for  a  young  man  in  his  employ.  To-day  he  does 
not.  Who  is  there  to  look  after  him?  If  he  is  not 
a  Christian  young  man  and  does  not  introduce  himself 
to  the  minister  of  a  Christian  Church,  the  Church 
leaves  him  alone.  Since  I  have  been  in  Liverpool, 
there  is  hardly  a  night  when  I  do  not  meet  in  walk- 
ing from  this  hall  to  my  hotel  a  number  of  young  men 
rolling  through  the  streets.  They  may  be  your  sons. 
Bear  in  mind,  they  are  somebody's  sons  and  they  are 
worth  saving.  A  good,  warm  grasp  of  the  hand,  a 
kindly  word  and  a  smile,  will  do  more  for  a  young 
man  who  comes  for  the  first  time  to  the  City  than  ten 
thousand  of  the  most  eloquent  sermons  ever  heard. 
These  young  men  want  some  one  to  take  an  interest 
in  them.  I  contend  that  no  one  can  do  this  so  well 
as  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association." 

It  was  some  months  later  that  Mr.  Moody,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Association,  addressed  a  mighty 
meeting  of  business  young  men  in  the  Agricultural 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Hall,  pleading  in  his  inimitable,  heart-searching  man- 
ner with  the  prodigals  — "  sons  who  are  breaking 
their  mothers'  hearts  "  —  denouncing  in  an  outburst 
of  terrific  passion  the  vices  of  the  day,  and  crowding 
the  after-meeting  until  well  beyond  midnight  with 
anxious,  inquiring  souls.  Wherever  Messrs.  Moody 
and  Sankey  went  during  their  tours  throughout  the 
kingdom,  they  stimulated  and  helped  the  work  of  the 
Associations,  and  the  revival  of  these  years  among 
young  men  was  in  a  large  measure  due  to  their  cam- 
paign. Mr.  Moody's  name  has  never  been  officially 
connected  with  the  most  striking  development  of  the 
work  which  culminated  in  the  purchase  of  Exeter  Hall, 
but  there  are  many  who  consider  that  it  was  the 
enthusiasm  He  aroused  for  the  Association  in  all  parts 
of  the  kingdom  which,  in  great  measure,  made  pos- 
sible such  a  daring  forward  movement  a  few  years 
later. 

Behind  and  through  all  these  varied  agencies  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  George  Wil- 
liams worked  steadily  and  steadfastly.  He  was,  in 
reality,  the  power  behind  the  machine,  no  mere  figure- 
head but  a  force  whose  influence  was  felt  through- 
out all  the  ramifications  of  the  work.  Those  who 
knew  him  only  from  seeing  him  on  public  platforms 
have  been  inclined  to  speak  lightly  of  his  judgment, 
as  if  kindness  and  Christian  sympathy  were  his  only 
characteristics.  No  greater  mistake  could  be  made. 
George  Williams  was  a  strong  man,  keen  and  resource- 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS 

f ul :  he  could  be  very  stern,  he  was  occasionally  very 
angry ;  he  was  always  deliberate,  sometimes  obsti- 
nate. He  was  the  last  person  in  the  world  to  be  per- 
suaded against  his  better  judgment  or  to  act  from 
feelings  of  mere  sentiment.  The  National  Secretary 
recalls  an  occasion  when  a  certain  case  was  put  before 
George  Williams,  and  a  strong  attempt  made  to  ob- 
tain his  decision  in  accordance  with  what  —  in  the 
judgment  of  the  Secretaries  —  would  be  the  wisest 
and  best  course  to  pursue.  A  deputation  of  senior 
officers  waited  upon  him,  and  a  careful  plan  was 
made  for  the  presentation  of  the  case.  The  first 
speaker  had  scarcely  opened  the  subject  when  there 
came  that  gentle  shake  of  the  head  which  always 
meant  so  much.  It  had  come  to  be  realised  that 
once  his  mind  was  made  up  —  and  this  was  often  indi- 
cated by  the  slightest  possible  movement  of  the  head 
—  nothing  could  change  him.  In  this  case  the  second 
senior  officer  added  his  remarks  and  made  them  as 
persuasive  as  possible.  Before  the  third  officer's  turn 
came  it  was  realised  that  it  would  be  useless  to  pursue 
the  matter  further,  and  the  officers  made  their  exit, 
admiring  the  courage  and  strength  of  will  of  their 
President,  feeling  they  were  baffled,  but  withal  in  so 
kind  a  way,  that  they  could  scarcely  restrain  laughter 
at  their  own  defeat. 

George  Williams's  one  recreation  at  this  time  was 
the  attendance  at  various  Association  Conferences 
held  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  He  often  pre- 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

sided,  delivering  his  bright  little  speeches,  cheering 
all  present  by  his  geniality  and  enthusiasm  and  leav- 
ing behind  a  substantial  cheque  and  a  memory  of 
encouragement  more  valuable  than  gold.  He  believed 
that  such  meetings  were  quickening  and  refreshing 
to  the  heart,  and  certainly  he  did  everything  in  his 
power  to  make  them  so.  He  had  a  firm  belief  in  the 
good  work  done  by  these  meetings  of  delegates,  in 
spite  of  the  criticism  of  certain  excellent  but  impatient 
people  who  declared  that  the  members  of  the  Asso- 
ciation were  better  at  talking  than  at  doing.  It  was 
at  the  second  Conference  of  delegates  in  London  that 
he  delivered  a  notable  defence  of  such  gatherings,  at 
which,  said  he,  "  by  the  blessing  of  God  our  hearts 
will  melt,  and  flow  out  in  love  and  kindness  to  each 
other,  and  we  shall  return  to  our  respective  homes 
better,  happier,  and  more  useful  men.  To  my  own 
mind  they  bring  back  the  remembrance  of  ascending 
great  mountains,  where  high  as  you  go  one  range 
after  another  meets  the  eye,  ranges  stretching  far  out 
into  the  infinite.  Is  there  not  something  like  this  in 
the  work  we  are  doing  for  young  men  ?  Thousands  of 
them  are  being  rescued  for  a  future  of  glory,  honour, 
and  immortality,  the  grandeur  of  which  eye  cannot 
see,  nor  heart  conceive.  There  are  other  advantages 
too.  We  see  what  our  work  is,  and  see  better  how 
to  do  it.  At  the  Darlington  Conference  held  recently 
one  of  the  delegates  stated  that  some  years  ago  he 
was  in  London  attending  a  Conference.  He  returned 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS          215 

home  with  new  zeal  animating  him,  and  during  a 
few  months  five  young  men  were  brought  to  the  Lord. 
All  of  them  are  now  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  it 
is  interesting  in  connection  with  this  fact  to  note 
that  one  of  these  young  men  is  now  a  CKurch  of 
England  clergyman,  two  are  Baptist  ministers,  one 
an  Independent  minister,  and  one  a  Methodist." 

George  Williams  could  never  lay  claim  to  being 
an  orator,  but  he  had  the  happy  knack  in  his  speeches 
of  saying  just  the  right  things  in  a  few  words.  I 
have  before  me  as  I  write  a  collection  of  notes  of 
addresses  delivered  during  these  years  at  meetings 
and  Conferences  throughout  the  country.  Contrary 
to  general  belief  his  speeches  were  prepared  with 
great  pains.  It  was  his  habit  to  paste  in  a  common- 
place book  any  cuttings  from  newspapers  which  he 
thought  might  be  useful,  and  the  apt  and  timely 
illustrations  of  which  he  made  such  excellent  use  and 
his  neat  turns  of  phrase  were  not,  as  many  have 
imagined,  extemporary  efforts,  but  most  carefully 
written  down  and  committed  to  memory.  Such 
speeches  as  these  do  not  bear  lengthy  quotation. 
They  depended  entirely  for  their  effect  upon  the  man- 
ner of  delivery,  which,  while  it  was  not  in  any  way 
ambitious,  was  admirably  suited  to  the  matter  and  the 
audience.  What  George  Williams  had  to  say  was 
always  eminently  practical,  and  he  had  a  practical 
way  of  saying  it.  He  liked  to  hang  his  remarks  on 
some  such  catchwords  as,  "  Aim  high.  Fight  shy. 


216  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Keep  high."  Short,  sharp  sentences  were  jerked  out 
as  he  raised  himself  on  tiptoe  and  brought  down  his 
fist  with  a  great  swing  of  the  arm.  He  had  the  re- 
markable gift  of  relieving  the  many  meetings  in 
which  he  took  part  of  any  taint  of  tedium  or  dulness. 
There  was  a  sparkle  and  vivacity  about  him  altogether 
contagious.  Pie  was  one  of  those  small-built  men 
who,  when  they  speak  in  public,  seem  compact  of 
energy.  According  to  recent  testimony  he  was  the 
best  chairman  of  a  religious  meeting  of  his  time. 
Only  once  in  all  his  long  career  did  he  allow  an  audi- 
ence over  which  he  presided  to  get  out  of  hand,  and 
that  was  owing  to  a  misunderstanding.  George  Wil- 
liams was  always  strict  in  keeping  speakers  to  their 
allotted  time,  and  on  this  occasion  one  of  the  most 
popular  preachers  of  the  day  thought  his  coat-tail 
had  been  pulled  in  consequence  of  his  enthusiastic 
reference  to  a  prominent  statesman,  and  sat  down 
without  completing  his  sentence,  obviously  in  high 
dudgeon,  whereas  the  explanation  was  simply  that 
he  had  already  disregarded  a  similar  but  less  emphatic 
warning  that  his  "  time  was  up !  "  The  audience  had 
been  worked  up  to  a  high  pitch  of  excitement,  for 
these  were  passionate  days,  and  refused  to  hear  any 
one  else,  and  neither  George  Williams  nor  the  organ- 
ist could  silence  their  demands. 

Here  are  a  few  characteristic  quotations  from  his 
speeches  during  this  period. 

At  the  Conference  of  delegates  in  1871,  speaking 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS         217 

of  the  means  of  increasing  the  success  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, he  advised  his  hearers  to  "get  to  know  the 
names  of  young  men.  Take  one  at  a  time.  Write 
a  letter  to  him.  Give  him  a  shake  of  the  hand.  Ask 
him  to  have  a  friendly  cup  of  tea.  Talk  kindly, 
naturally,  with  him.  Take  him  for  a  walk.  Show 
him  a  little  kindness  and  you  will  get  hold  of  him. 
Get  one  to  come,  and  others  of  his  class  will  follow 
like  a  flock  of  sheep.  Have  warm  hearts,  loving, 
big  souls.  By  God's  blessing  there  will  be  no  fail- 
ure. By  using  these  means  every  difficulty  will  be 
surmounted." 

Some  years  later,  in  the  course  of  a  speech  to  Con- 
ference delegates,  he  said:  — 

"  Oh,  let  us  be  men  of  one  idea !  We  have  —  I 
know  I  have  myself  —  too  many  irons  in  the  fire,  and 
our  energies  are  scattered  and  worth  nothing.  If 
this  Conference  would  result  in  inspiring  us  to  keep 
to  our  one  work,  it  would  prove  a  blessing  indeed. 
.  .  .  We  ought  to  comprehend  in  our  regard  and 
prayerful  sympathies  every  young  man  in  the  king- 
dom, from  the  Prince  of  Wales  down  to  the  lowest 
beggar,  every  young  man  from  fourteen  to  forty. 
In  England  at  the  present  time  great  power  is  being 
given  to  the  working  classes.  How  is  it  to  be  turned 
to  the  best  account?  Is  Bradlaugh  to  be  allowed 
to  have  his  say  to  the  working  classes,  and  are  there 
to  be  no  young  men  amongst  us  able  to  meet  his 
attacks  on  revealed  religion?  " 


218  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS      - 

He  loved  to  dwell  on  the  possibilities  of  good  in 
every  young  man,  and  liked  to  recount  such  possi- 
bilities in  detail.  Writing  to  one  of  the  Secretaries, 
he  said:  "Please  remember  that  one  youth  brought 
to  know  and  love  and  follow  the  Saviour  is  a  good 
year's  work.  That  youth  may  become  a  joy  and 
support  to  his  parents  and  friends.  He  may  become 
a  Sunday  School  teacher,  a  member  of  a  Christian 
Church,  an  active  worker  for,  and  contributor  to, 
home  and  foreign  missions,  a  churchwarden,  deacon, 
elder,  or  class  leader.  He  may  become  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Association,  and  be  the  means  of  leading 
many  young  men  and  young  women  to  Christ.  He 
may  become  a  member  of  a  Committee  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, and  rise  to  be  a  large  employer  and  promoter 
of  virtue  and  happiness,  and  leave  behind  him  a 
family  devoted  to  the  Lord's  work." 

At  many  of  the  Conferences  this  review  of  a  young 
man's  future  was  the  burden  of  his  presidential  ad- 
dress. "  Why,"  he  asks  on  one  occasion,  "  all  this 
to-do  about  young  men?  Why  should  there  be  a 
separate  Association  for  young  men  at  all?  I  will 
answer  by  showing  what  a  young  man  can  do.  He 
can  injure  his  health,  he  can  undermine  his  constitu- 
tion, he  can  destroy  his  moral  character,  he  can  lose 
his  situation,  he  can  become  a  drunkard,  he  can  break 
his  mother's  heart,  he  can  lead  other  young  men  and 
women  astray,  and  surround  himself  to  all  eternity 
with  lost  spirits  who  will  look  upon  him  as  the  means 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS         219 

of  their  perdition.  But,  thank  God,  he  can  do  some- 
thing else.  He  can  become  an  associate  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  —  I  am  glad  we  have 
active  and  associate  members  —  he  can  repent  of  his 
sins,  he  can  believe  in  the  Gospel,  he  can  give  his 
whole  heart  to  Christ,  he  can  take  care  of  his  life, 
he  can  gain  the  esteem  of  and  become  a  great  help 
to  his  employer,  he  can  help  his  father  and  become 
a  great  joy  to  his  mother  and  sisters,  he  can  become 
a  Sunday  and  Ragged  school  teacher,  he  can  con- 
tribute to  and  become  a  zealous  advocate  of  foreign 
missions,  he  can  become  an  abstainer  and  persuade 
hundreds  of  others  to  abstain,  he  can  become  an 
active  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, and  by  his  life  and  zeal  for  the  souls  of  young 
men  and  women  become  instrumental  in  leading  many 
to  the  Saviour,  who,  instead  of  accusing  him  of  being 
the  cause  of  their  ruin,  shall  be  a  joy  to  him  through- 
out the  countless  ages  of  eternity." 

In  1873  another  landmark  in  the  work  of  George 
Williams  was  reached  by  the  opening  of  Hazelwood 
House,  Ryde,  as  a  holiday  home  for  young  men. 
Such  was  the  success  of  Hazelwood  House  that  a  few 
years  later  another  young  men's  home  was  estab- 
lished at  Margate.  These  homes,  to  which  more 
particular  reference  is  made  in  a  later  chapter,  owe 
their  existence  almost  entirely  to  the  initiative  and 
munificence  of  George  Williams,  who  determined  to 
wipe  away  the  reproach  of  a  sceptical  young  man 


220  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

who  once  said  to  him,  "  All  that  your  religion  does 
for  me  is  to  offer  me  a  farthing  tract." 

It  is  noticeable,  in  reading  the  reports  of  the  many 
meetings  of  the  Association,  that  the  founder  and 
treasurer  seldom  appeared  in  any  prominent  manner 
before  the  public.  He  contented  himself  for  the  most 
part  with  moving  votes  of  thanks,  and  presiding  at 
social  gatherings  of  all  kinds,  and,  with  the  modesty 
which  was  such  an  attractive  feature  in  his  char- 
acter, always  took  a  place  in  the  background,  seldom 
allowing  any  particular  account  of  the  work  he  had 
done  for  the  Association  during  the  year  to  appear 
in  its  official  records.  In  1878  it  was  felt  that  the 
time  had  arrived  for  the  development  of  a  general 
organisation  for  the  Continental  work,  and  it  was  in 
great  measure  the  outcome  of  his  generous  support 
that  the  work  of  the  International  Committee  of  the 
World's  Alliance  was  established  at  Geneva  in  that 
year.  From  that  date  this  Committee  has  exercised 
a  remarkable  influence  throughout  Europe,  while 
members  from  forty  different  countries  are  repre- 
sented on  its  board  of  management.  At  the  time  of 
writing  there  are  over  three  thousand  separate  Asso- 
ciations on  the  continent  of  Europe  alone,  and  nearly 
eight  thousand  in  all  are  embraced  in  the  World's 
Alliance. 

In  1880  several  changes  were  made  in  the  organ- 
isation of  the  London  Association.  Mr.  Shipton,  the 
successor  of  Mr.  Tarlton,  of  whose  tact  and  geniality 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS 

and  organising  power  mention  has  already  been  made, 
retired  from  his  position,  and  was  followed  by  Mr. 
W.  Hind  Smith,  who  had  been  one  of  the  most  active 
of  the  provincial  Secretaries  since  he  joined  the  As- 
sociation at  the  time  of  the  Edinburgh  Conference. 
Mr.  Hind  Smith's  indefatigable  zeal  and  work  have 
counted  for  much  in  the  progress  of  the  later  years, 
and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  pay  a  tribute,  at  this  place, 
to  one  who  has  worked  nobly  in  the  cause  of  the 
Association. 

In  1880  the  East  Central  London  Branch  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was  opened  in 
King  William  Street,  when  the  chair  was  occupied 
by  Mr.  J.  Herbert  Tritton,  of  the  great  firm  of 
Messrs.  Barclay,  Bevan,  Tritton  &  Co.,  whose  part- 
ner, Mr.  R.  C.  L.  Bevan,  presided  at  the  first 
annual  meeting  of  the  Association  thirty-four  years 
previously. 

It  was  this  year,  too,  that  saw  the  beginnings  of 
the  greatest  ambition  of  George  Williams's  life  — 
the  purchase  of  Exeter  Hall  for  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association.  Speaking  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Association  in  1880,  he  said :  "  Your  old 
and  excellent  friend,  Mr.  R.  C.  L.  Bevan,  has  referred 
to  the  commencement  of  this  Association,  when  it  was 
but  a  very  small  gathering  of  young  men.  You  re- 
member, when  the  sapling  was  planted,  what  a  poor, 
sickly  thing  it  appeared.  But  it  has  grown,  it  has 
spread  out  its  branches,  it  has  covered  nearly  the  whole 


222  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

of  Europe,  America,  and  many  of  the  British  prov- 
inces, and  we  hope  ere  we  come  to  the  end  of  the  chap- 
ter, that  it  will  cover  the  whole  of  the  world.  We  have, 
indeed,  grown  out  of  our  home  in  Aldersgate  Street. 
We  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  the  multitude  of 
young  men  coming  to  us.  We  want  a  larger  place. 
And  we  must  have  a  larger  place.  I  hope  it  may  be 
our  great  pleasure  to  have  our  President  in  the  chair 
when,  at  no  distant  date,  we  shall  have  a  much -larger 
place  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in 
this  great  Metropolis  of  the  world." 

The  history  of  Exeter  Hall  is  bound  up  in  the  re- 
ligious and  social  history  of  the  last  century.  It 
was  originally  built  in  1831  to  provide  a  place  of 
meeting  for  philanthropic  and  religious  societies, 
which,  up  to  that  time,  had  been  compelled  to  make 
use  of  the  tavern  and  hotel.  It  was  here  that  the 
Prince  Consort  made  his  first  appearance  in  June, 
1840,  on  behalf  of  the  abolition  of  the  Slave  Trade ; 
here  that  the  first  Temperance  Meeting  in  London 
was  held  in  June,  1831,  and  that  J.  B.  Gough  de- 
livered his  wonderful  temperance  orations ;  here  that 
Morley  Punshon  swayed  multitudes ;  here  that  Men- 
delssohn's "Elijah"  was  first  performed  in  its  pres- 
ent form;  here  that  Jenny  Lind's  famous  concerts 
took  place.  But  after  fifty  years  it  was  decided  to 
sell  the  building,  for  the  enterprise  had  not  proved 
successful  as  a  business  speculation.  There  was  some 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS 

talk  of  a  music-hall  syndicate  purchasing  the  prem- 
ises with  a  view  to  turning  Exeter  Hall  into  a  place 
of  amusement,  but  there  was  a  clause  in  the  deeds 
requiring  that  before  it  was  disposed  of  for  any 
other  purpose,  it  should  be  first  offered  to  some 
religious  society. 

George  Williams,  like  all  successful  men,  loved  big 
things,  and  immediately  he  heard  of  the  proposed 
sale  of  Exeter  Hall  he  determined  to  make  a  great 
attempt  to  purchase  the  leasehold  of  the  building  for 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  The  idea 
of  acquiring  the  hall  for  the  benefit  of  certain  re- 
ligious societies  originated,  it  should  be  stated,  with 
Mr.  T.  A.  Denny,  who  approached  the  shareholders 
with  a  proposition,  but,  at  the  time,  failed  in  his 
negotiations.  When  George  Williams  conceived  the 
plan  of  making  it  the  headquarters  of  the  Associa- 
tion, Mr.  Denny  and  his  brother  readily  entered  into 
the  scheme,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was  at  first 
almost  ridiculed  by  many  of  the  Association's  firmest 
friends.  When  it  was  seriously  discussed,  it  met 
with  most  strenuous  opposition.  It  was  contended 
that,  even  under  existing  conditions,  it  was  not  easy 
to  keep  the  Association,  with  its  rapidly  growing 
work,  free  from  debt  —  that  special  appeals  had  fre- 
quently to  be  made  to  clear  off  outstanding  liabilities. 
But  as  Mr.  Hind  Smith,  who  perhaps  more  than 
any  one  else  was  in  George  Williams's  confidence  in 
Association  work,  recounts,  the  stronger  the  opposi- 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

tion  the  stronger  became  George  Williams's  deter- 
mination to  attempt  the  purchase  of  the  building. 
At  last  one  afternoon,  as  they  sat  talking  together 
of  the  proposal,  George  Williams,  after  meeting  ob- 
jection after  objection,  threw  himself  back  in  his 
chair,  rubbing  his  hand  across  the  back  of  his  head, 
a  habit  he  had  when  much  perturbed,  and  almost 
groaned  out,  "  Mr.  Hind  Smith,  I  think  I  should 
die  happy  if  we  had  Exeter  Hall  for  the  headquarters 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association."  "  I  saw 
he  was  absolutely  determined  to  make  the  attempt," 
says  Mr.  Hind  Smith,  "  and  I  answered,  '  Very  well 
then,  we  will  have  it.'  "  Ways  and  means  for  raising 
the  required  sum  were  then  immediately  discussed. 
It  was  agreed  that  probably  the  only  way  was  to 
get  five  gentlemen  to  give  £5,000  each.  George 
Williams  was  at  first  startled  by  such  an  idea,  but 
after  thinking  it  over  agreed  to  try,  adding  that  he 
would,  of  course,  be  one  of  the  five.  An  appointment 
was  made  for  the  next  morning  with  Mr.  Samuel 
Morley,  who,  after  considering  the  proposal  in  his 
quick,  shrewd  manner,  at  once  promised  to  be  the 
second  of  the  five.  Within  two  days  the  whole  sum 
was  secured,  Mr.  R.  C.  L.  Bevan,  Messrs.  T.  A.  and 
E.  M.  Denny,  and  Mr.  J.  D.  Allcroft  each  giving 
£5,000.  George  Williams  did  not  meet  with  a  single 
refusal. 

This  opportunity  may  be  taken  of  acknowledging 
in  the  warmest  manner  the  way  in  which,  throughout 


••III      S'l    • 


Photo] 


EXETER  HALL 


[Keliher,  London 


Opened  as  the  headquarters  of  the  Youns  Men's  Christian 
Association  on  March  UJ),   1881 


THE    YEAKS    OF    PROG&ESS         225 

liis  career  as  a  Christian  philanthropist,  George  Wil- 
liams was  supported  by  a  noble  band  of  men  whose 
generosity,  whose  business  ability,  and  whose  whole- 
hearted co-operation  were  of  incalculable  service  to' 
the  Association  he  founded.  The  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  as  it  exists  to-day,  was  not  the 
work  of  one  man,  but  of  a  splendid  and  devoted 
company.  In  such  a  book  as  this  which  attempts 
to  tell  the  life-story  of  a  man  rather  than  of  an 
institution,  I  have  written  chiefly  of  the  work  as  it 
was  influenced  by  the  central  figure.  Let  this,  how- 
ever, be  a  passing  tribute  to  the  "  men  who  helped," 
to  the  men,  indeed,  who  have  made  the  Association 
possible  in  its  present  form  and  have  worked  so  un- 
tiringly and  with  so  much  self-sacrifice  for  the  honour 
of  the  cause,  some  of  whom  will,  in  the  days  to  come, 
lead  it  to  still  more  glorious  conquests. 

A  few  weeks  later  Exeter  Hall  was  purchased  pri- 
vately for  the  use  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association.  To  complete  the  building  in  a  fitting 
manner,  many  extensive  alterations  and  improvements 
were  indispensable,  and  immediately  the  preliminary 
details  were  settled,  an  appeal  was  issued  by  the  Com- 
mittee and  resulted  in  a  few  months  in  subscriptions 
to  the  amount  of  nearly  £20,000.  Shortly  after  the 
purchase,  on  March  29,  1881,  exactly  fifty  years 
after  the  original  opening,  Exeter  Hall  was  reopened 
as  the  headquarters  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association. 

15 


226  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

The  reopening,  according  to  Earl  Cairns,  marked 
not  only  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  London,  but  of 
the  country  at  large.  The  gathering  at  the  evening 
meeting  was  magnificent.  Every  corner  of  the  great 
building  was  full,  and  the  audience,  as  one  of  the 
writers  of  the  day  said,  was  precisely  of  the  kind 
which  the  ardent  promoters  of  the  new  undertaking 
must  have  been  delighted  to  welcome.  It  was,  indeed, 
"  a  gathering  upon  which  none  but  a  hopeless  cynic 
could  have  gazed  without  some  emotion."  As  the  Earl 
of  Shaftesbury  appeared  on  the  platform,  the  audience 
grew  wild  with  delight,  but  it  was  George  Williams 
who  received  the  proudest  ovation  of  the  day.  Lord 
Shaftesbury  was  accompanied  by  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  who  delivered  one  of  his  stately  and 
sympathetic  addresses,  by  members  of  the  noblest 
families  in  the  land,  by  the  Lord  Mayor,  and  the  most 
prominent  ministers  of  all  denominations.  It  was 
the  Archbishop  who  proposed  the  first  resolution,  in 
which  deep  thankfulness  was  expressed  "  for  the  en- 
larged sphere  of  usefulness  presented  to  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,"  and  the  building 
"  dedicated  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  Earl  Cairns  followed  the  Primate,  and  Mr. 
Samuel  Morley  was  particularly  happy  in  his  testi- 
mony as  a  business  man  that  not  a  shilling  had  been 
wasted  on  the  building.  Speeches  were  delivered  by 
Canon  Fleming  and  by  Dr.  Oswald  Dykes,  and  then 
the  Lord  Mayor  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  on  behalf 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS 

of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  of 
the  Christian  community  at  large,  to  the  gentlemen 
through  whose  munificence  Exeter  Hall  had  been  pre- 
served for  the  purposes  originally  contemplated  by 
the  founders.  George  Williams,  whose  rising  was  the 
signal  for  a  tremendous  outburst  of  enthusiasm,  was 
almost  overcome  with  gratitude  and  rejoicing.  He 
found  it  difficult  to  voice  his  heart's  thankfulness. 
He  said  simply :  "  I  thank  you  all,  dear  friends,  for 
your  sympathy,  your  kind  co-operation,  and  for  your 
most  ready  gifts,  for  I  am  sure  that  in  visiting  you  in 
your  own  homes,  as  I  have  had  the  privilege  of  doing, 
I  have  been  rejoiced  and  made  glad  with  the  freedom, 
happiness,  and  cheerfulness  with  which  you  have 
given  your  gold  and  silver  for  this  most  blessed  work." 
And  as  he  ended,  the  vast  audience  rose  again  and 
cheered  and  cheered.  It  was  Mr.  Herbert  Tritton 
who  had  the  privilege  of  expressing,  in  the  name  of 
all,  their  gratitude  to  the  one  who  "  conceived  the  idea 
of  making  Exeter  Hall  the  headquarters  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  throughout  the 
world,  and  who  carried  that  idea  into  such  successful 
effect."  "  The  conception  of  the  idea  and  the  carry- 
ing out  of  its  completion  is,"  he  said,  "  due  and  the 
praise  is  to  be  given  under  God,  for  we  recognise 
His  hand  in  all,  to  your  Treasurer,  Mr.  George 
Williams." 

Just  one  month  afterwards  the  thirty-sixth  annual 
meeting  of  the  Association  was  held,  and  it  was  no 


228  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

wonder  that  a  jubilant  note  was  sounded  in  the  year's 
report.  "  Other  societies,"  we  read,  "  may  have  en- 
tered into  larger  possessions  of  silver  and  gold,  but 
we  reckon  ourselves  rich  indeed,  for  we  possess  not 
only  the  results  of  munificent  gifts,  but  we  have  to- 
day, and  hope  we  may  long  have  in  our  midst,  the 
generous  donors  themselves,  and  we  record  the  fact 
with  heartfelt  gratitude  that  they  have  given,  not 
only  money,  but  have  also  laboured  and  prayed 
for  the  work  with  an  earnest  and  unfaltering 
zeal." 

In  the  following  year  there  was  held  at  Exeter  Hall 
the  ninth  International  Conference  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Associations,  attended  by  three  hun- 
dred and  thirty-eight  delegates  from  sixteen  different 
countries.  Needless  to  say  George  Williams  was 
prominent  throughout  the  meetings.  It  was  during 
this  year,  too,  that  a  National  Committee  was  formed 
with  George  Williams  as  chairman,  composed  of  the 
district  Secretaries  in  England  and  Wales,  and  other 
representative  members,  the  design  of  which  was  to 
seek  the  "  best  means  of  more  systematically  and  uni- 
formly developing  and  carrying  on  the  work  of  the 
Association."  With  the  spread  of  the  Associations 
throughout  the  country  the  need  of  a  supervising 
agency  was  increasingly  felt.  Up  till  now  the  neces- 
sary oversight  of  the  work  had  been  undertaken  by 
the  parent  society  in  London,  but  a  feeling  had  de- 
veloped amongst  some  of  the  largest  centres  that  a 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS         229 

more  representative  organisation  was  needed.  George 
Williams  threw  himself  heartily  into  plans  formulated 
by  Mr.  J.  Herbert  Tritton,  who  had  recently  taken 
an  active  part  in  the  work,  and,  conjointly  with  Mr. 
Samuel  Morley  and  Mr.  R.  C.  L.  Bevan  and  others, 
guaranteed  the  financial  help  required.  It  was  to  the 
work  of  the  National  Council  which  "  linked  together  " 
the  Associations  of  the  country  "  for  mutual  advice, 
counsel,  and  extension  "  that,  from  this  time  onward, 
the  founder  of  the  Association  gave  special  attention, 
presiding  at  all  its  important  meetings,  his  intuitive 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  multitude  of 
issues  which  came  before  the  Council  proving  of  im- 
mense value.  No  worker  in  the  Association  had  a 
keener  appreciation  of  the  difficulties  of  individual 
members  or  associations,  or  was  more  ready  to 
appreciate  the  importance  of  measures  proposed 
and  to  obviate  and  overcome  difficulties  in  their 
realisation. 

The  fears  expressed  by  many  that  Exeter  Hall 
would  not  prove  a  success  as  a  centre  of  work,  were 
soon  proved  to  be  groundless.  The  spirit  stirred 
by  the  acquisition  of  this  new  building  had  been  felt 
from  end  to  end  of  the  country,  and  had  infused  new 
life  and  energy  into  the  work  in  all  directions.  In 
the  whole  history  of  the  Association  the  following 
years  were,  perhaps,  the  most  remarkable  of  all  in 
their  rapid  and  successful  progress.  The  work 
marched  forward  everywhere,  the  public  meetings 


280  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

were  marked  by  almost  unprecedented  enthusiasm, 
the  various  Conferences  were  attended  by  greater 
numbers  than  ever  before.  In  1884  George  Williams 
took  a  prominent  place  in  the  reception  given  by  the 
Lord  Mayor  when  the  Freedom  of  the  City  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  who,  on  this  occa- 
sion —  at  the  end  of  his  career  —  bore  his  testimony 
to  the  work  of  the  Association.  "  The  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  is  one  of  the  greatest  inventions 
of  modern  times.  It  has  been  the  means  of  providing 
comfort  and  encouragement  and  protection  to  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  young  men  who  are  to  be  the 
future  merchants  of  this  country,  and  upon  whom 
this  country  will  rest  for  its  character  and  even  for 
its  safety." 

In  the  same  year  George  Williams  was  one  of  the 
ninety  British  delegates  at  the  International  Confer- 
ence held  in  Berlin,  when  a  letter  of  welcome  was  read 
from  the  Emperor.  During  this  period  a  determined 
attempt  was  made  by  certain  of  the  associates  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  to  introduce  a 
more  secular  element  into  the  work  at  Exeter  Hall, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  state  once  again  in  the 
most  definite  terms  the  high  purpose  for  which  the 
work  had  been  founded,  and  to  emphasise  the  funda- 
mental rules  of  the  society.  The  work,  however,  was 
being  carried  on  in  no  narrow  spirit,  and  it  is  inter- 
esting to  note  that  the  Rev.  Hugh  Price  Hughes,  at 
a  meeting  held  in  the  same  year,  testified  to  "  the  fact 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS 

that  the  strong  and  hearty  character  represented  by 
the  Associations  had  no  objection  to  any  kind  of 
learning  or  science." 

It  was  two  years  later  that,  upon  the  death  of  that 
noble  friend  of  the  Association,  the  Earl  of  Shaftes- 
bury,  the  Exeter  Hall  Committee,  on  the  18th  of 
April,  1886,  unanimously  elected  George  Williams 
President  of  the  Association.  In  the  course  of  his 
first  presidential  speech  at  the  annual  meeting  held 
the  following  month,  he  said :  — 

"  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  the  Central  Association, 
and  to  all  the  friends  of  the  Association,  for  the  great 
honour  conferred  upon  me,  in  placing  me  in  the  posi- 
tion of  President  of  this  great  institution.  I  do  confess 
to  have  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  movement  from 
its  very  commencement.  I  do  humbly  thank  God  that  I 
have  been  permitted  and  spared,  not  only  to  co-operate 
in  the  work  in  England,  but  to  see  its  wonderful 
growth  on  the  Continent  and  throughout  America. 
No  one,  I  think,  can  well  estimate  the  enormous  ad- 
vantage which  the  Association  has  been  to  a  very  large 
class  of  the  community  —  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  as  well  as  in  Australia,  and  in  various  other 
parts  of  the  world.  Now  we  are  met  together  under 
very  new  circumstances.  Our  great  Moses  has  been 
taken  up.  We  thank  God  for  his  life.  It  was  a  life 
lived  for  the  welfare  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  The  results  of  what  he  did 
must  be  abiding,  must  continue ;  and  I  do  hope  and 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

pray  that  now  he  has  been  taken  up,  God  will  raise 
up  hundreds  of  Joshuas  to  carry  on  the  various  and 
multifarious  associations  in  which  he  took  such  a 
lively  interest. 

"  Now  it  is  a  very  great  pleasure  and  satisfaction 
to  me,  that  this  Association  is  in  no  way  narrow 
or  sectarian.  It  is  as  broad  and  large-hearted  and 
catholic  as  any  Association  can  be,  and  we  are  con- 
stantly saying,  that  if  we  find  a  man  proselytising 
we  put  him  out  of  the  synagogue.  We  meet,  belong- 
ing to  different  denominations,  and  agreeing  to  differ 
on  minor  points  in  the  presence  of  the  great  object 
before  us  —  that  of  putting  young  men  into  the 
path  that  leads  to  eternal  life." 

It  was  at  this  meeting  that  Samuel  Marley  rendered 
his  last  service  to  the  Association  he,  too,  had  loved 
so  well.  Ever  since  1845  when  he  supported  a  resolu- 
tion at  its  first  annual  meeting  he  had  proved  himself 
one  of  the  staunchest  supporters  of  the  work.  Not 
only  did  he  contribute  in  his  princely  manner  to  all 
branches  of  the  Association  and  in  times  of  commer- 
cial depression  entrust  large  sums  to  the  Secretaries 
to  assist  anonymously  various  cases  of  need,  but  he 
was  from  the  beginning  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  was  particularly 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  Aldersgate  Street 
branch,  with  which,  as  a  great  employer,  he  felt  him- 
self specially  identified,  and  which,  as  he  said  in  his 
last  speech,  "  had  done  its  work  nobly  in  the  past, 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS 

was  doing  it  nobly  now,  and  had  ample  scope  for 
doing  even  better  things  in  the  future." 

In  the  following  year  George  Williams  opened  the 
Association  building  named  after  him  in  Bridgwater, 
the  spiritual  homeland  of  his  youth.  In  his  speech 
he  referred  to  those  present  who  remembered  him 
"  when  he  was  a  boy  with  a  chubby  face  and  dressed 
in  a  little  round  jacket."  It  was  at  Bridgwater,  he 
said,  that  while  engaged  in  toiling  at  his  business, 
he  had  gained  the  knowledge  of  those  elements  of 
commercial  life  which  had  stood  him  in  good  stead 
throughout  his  career ;  here,  too,  that  the  fountain 
sprang  up  "  which  had  flowed  all  over  the  world." 

This  visit  to  Bridgwater  in  October,  1887,  was 
made  the  occasion  of  quite  a  public  ovation.  The 
town  was  decorated,  the  Mayor  attended  in  state,  and 
many  journeyed  long  distances  to  be  present  at  the 
"  festivities,"  as  George  Williams  called  them,  on  that 
"  happy  and  glorious  day."  The  handsome  build- 
ing was  opened  by  George  Williams  as  a  "  memorial 
of  the  power  of  the  grace  of  God  in  the  human  heart, 
designed  to  give  expression  to  the  work  of  the  Lord, 
through  the  means  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association." 

It  was  one  of  the  most  pleasing  traits  in  his  char- 
acter that  he  never  forgot  his  old  friends  in  the  West 
Country.  On  one  of  his  rare  visits  to  Dulverton,  he 
asked  the  vicar  of  the  parish  if  there  was  anything 
he  could  do  to  beautify  the  church  he  had  attended 


284  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

as  a  boy,  and  under  whose  shadow  his  father  was 
buried.  It  was  suggested  that  the  building  stood 
much  in  need  of  some  new  windows,  and  a  short  time 
afterwards  he  presented  to  the  church  a  costly  set 
of  stained  glass  windows,  giving  much  thought  to 
the  choice  of  the  texts.  He  also  contributed  regularly 
some  £40  a  year,  in  support  of  a  special  colporteur 
for  the  district. 

And  so  throughout  these  years  of  progress  George 
Williams  journeyed  to  and  fro  in  the  interests  of  the 
Association,  reviving  old  societies  and  starting  new 
ones,  never  losing  heart,  always  resourceful,  always 
stimulating,  always  finding  fresh  encouragement. 

The  inspiration  of  his  presence  was  as  remark- 
able as  his  unfailing  liberality.  However  desperate 
a  case  might  appear,  whether  by  reason  of  debt  or 
weakness  of  organisation,  he  always  refused  to  be 
convinced  that  the  branch  should  be  closed.  One  of 
his  favourite  methods  of  revival  was  the  holding  of 
drawing-room  meetings  at  which  his  charm  and  geni- 
ality always  did  wonders  in  rekindling  interest  in  the 
work.  On  one  occasion  such  a  gathering  was  held 
in  a  town  where  the  Association  was  in  an  almost 
moribund  condition.  Only  twenty -five  persons  were 
present,  and  when  it  was  stated  that  the  only  way  to 
ensure  any  progress  was  to  purchase  or  erect  a 
properly  equipped  building,  the  situation  appeared 
hopeless.  George  Williams,  however,  started  the  sub- 
scription with  £250,  and  such  were  his  powers  of 


THE    YEARS    OF    PROGRESS          235 

persuasion  that  before  the  meeting  of  twenty-five 
broke  up  he  had  secured  promises  of  nearly  £1,500 
towards  the  erection  of  a  new  Association  building. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  1889  he  spoke  of  the 
manner  in  which,  at  the  World's  Conference  at  Stock- 
holm, men  had  witnessed  how  God  was  gathering 
young  men  for  His  work  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 
In  countless  ways  the  members  of  the  Association  were 
branching  out  into  new  spheres.  Many  were  entering 
the  ministry,  and  in  England  alone  nearly  fifty  had, 
in  a  single  year,  gone  into  the  mission  field. 

And  this  marks  the  climax  of  the  thirty  years,  for, 
with  the  appointment  of  a  Travelling  Foreign  Sec- 
retary, the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  en- 
tered upon  a  new  and  greater  work,  the  results  of 
which  are  only  now  beginning  to  be  realised.  The 
initiative  was  taken  by  America,  but  in  189&  two 
foreign  missionary  secretaries  were  sent  out  from 
England,  and  since  that  time  the  pioneer  work  of  the 
Association  in  foreign  lands  has  never  looked  back. 

The  last  of  the  thirty  years  of  progress  was,  in- 
deed, the  most  progressive  of  them  all. 


THE    RELIGION    OF    A    SUCCESS 
FUL   MERCHANT 


CHAPTER   X 

THE  RELIGION  OF  A  SUCCESSFUL  MERCHANT 

THE  previous  chapters  have  been  devoted,  almost 
exclusively,  to  a  review  of  the  public  life  of  Sir 
George  Williams  and  of  his  work  in  connection  with 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  This  work 
was,  as  has  already  been  noted,  carried  on  simul- 
taneously with  all  that  is  entailed  in  the  daily  round 
of  a  successful  merchant ;  indeed,  the  scope  and 
responsibility  of  both  activities  grew  side  by  side, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  how  any  one  man  could 
have  attended  so  assiduously,  and  so  successfully,  to 
a  rapidly  increasing  business  while  abating  nothing 
of  his  efforts  on  behalf  of  young  men  and  adding 
daily  to  his  interests  in  other  religious  institutions. 
That  is  the  crowning  wonder  of  the  life  of  Sir  George 
Williams. 

Those  who  knew  him  only  during  his  latter  years, 
when  his  sons  had  relieved  him  of  many  of  the  most 
pressing  anxieties  of  business  and  when  he  might  be 
said  to  be  giving  the  best  part  of  his  time,  and  cer- 
tainly the  greater  part  of  his  thought,  to  philan- 
thropic work,  can  form  no  just  estimate  of  the  man 


240  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

as  lie  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  when  he  ruled  like  a 
benevolent  despot  over  a  great  company  of  workers  in 
the  establishment  in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard,  keeping 
in  constant  touch  with  every  detail,  watching  every 
turn  and  trend  of  one  of  the  most  complicated  and 
exacting  of  trades. 

He  came  to  London  without  influence  or  capital, 
and  amassed  a  fortune.  His  donations  to  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  religious  works  were  on  the  most 
lavish  scale.  And  he  died  a  rich  man.  Some  few 
are  born  philanthropists ;  generosity  is  in  their  blood 
and  they  are  dowered  with  the  means  of  giving ;  some 
have  philanthropy  thrust  upon  them  by  a  swift  turn 
of  fortune,  by  the  exigencies  of  their  position,  by 
the  necessity  of  living  up  to  the  world's  interpreta- 
tion of  noblesse  oblige.  George  Williams  achieved 
philanthropy.  He  was  never  so  wealthy  that  his 
generosity  cost  him  little  or  nothing.  He  spared 
himself  that  he  might  spend  on  others,  living  always 
in  the  most  quiet  and  simple  fashion,  utterly  devoid 
of  all  ostentation  or  pride  of  success. 

And  even  in  those  wonderfully  prosperous  years 
of  Britain's  most  wonderful  century,  wealth  was  not 
attained  by  attending  meetings  or  presiding  at  con- 
ventions. That  he  brought  his  religion  into  his  daily 
life  is  perfectly  true,  but  he  would  have  been  the  first 
to  admit  that  he  considered  his  religion  made  him  a 
better  man  of  business.  He  believed,  and  stated  more 
than  once,  that  the  lack  of  a  well-grounded  faith  in 


Photo  67/]  [Maull  &  Fox,  Piccadilly 

SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 

From  a  photograph  taken  soon  after  the  opening  of  Exeter  Hall  as 
the  Headqtiarters  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT 

Christ,  of  definite  Christian  ideals,  was  one  of  the 
chief  causes  of  commercial  failure,  believed  with  his 
father-in-law,  the  founder  of  the  firm,  that  one  of 
the  greatest  delusions  of  the  day  was  that  religion 
spoiled  a  man  for  business ;  that  "  the  men  of  God, 
other  things  —  natural  ability  and  education  and 
knowledge  being  equal  —  are  the  best  men  of  busi- 
ness." He  was  not,  however,  inclined  to  make  the 
mistake  of  trusting  or  employing  a  man  merely  on 
account  of  his  religious  training  or  convictions.  He 
held  fixedly  to  the  idea  that  a  Christian  young  man 
might  be,  and  indeed  ought  to  be,  a  good  employee, 
and  although  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  impress  upon 
every  one  in  his  establishment  the  claims  of  Christ,  he 
had,  in  these  days  of  the  making  of  his  fortune,  the 
keenest  scent  of  the  hypocrite  and  the  highest  appre- 
ciation of  commercial  capacity. 

He  built  up  his  great  business  and  he  gained  his 
high  position  in  the  world  of  commerce  by  unremit- 
ting work,  and  by  his  ability  to  gauge  the  capacity 
of  the  men  who  served  him  and  the  kind  of  treatment 
which  would  best  develop  their  peculiar  talents.  When 
asked  how  he  found  time  to  control  such  an  intricate 
business,  he  used  to  reply,  "  I  manage  the  men  who 
manage  the  business."  George  Williams  was  no 
petted  favourite  of  fortune ;  he  succeeded  because 
he  deserved  success. 

Towards  the  end  of  his  life  he  was,  more  perhaps 
than  most  philanthropists,  a  prey  to  that  noxious 

16 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

band,  those  camp  followers  and  scavengers  of  the 
armies  of  Christ,  men  of  the  glib  tongue  and  unctuous 
phrase,  who  have  often  been  portrayed,  and  never, 
as  some  would  have  us  believe,  caricatured  by  the 
popular  novelist.  There  came  a  day  when  Time 
blunted  his  keenness  and  when  he  found  it  almost 
impossible  to  refuse  pecuniary  aid  to  any  who  asked 
it,  however  unworthily,  with  the  name  of  Christ 
upon  their  lips ;  when  he  gave,  as  it  were,  automati- 
cally, so  strong  had  grown  his  habit  of  generosity, 
even  to  the  most  undeserving  of  rogues  who  could  roll 
his  tongue  round  a  text.  But  until  the  last  years  he 
was  most  keen  in  his  judgments,  most  careful  in  his 
charity.  While  like  his  friend  Samuel  Morley  he 
gave  in  large  measure,  the  mere  giving  of  money 
was  the  least  part  of  his  philanthropy.  Upon  every 
cause  in  which  he  was  interested  he  spent  himself,  his 
thought,  his  energy,  taking  delight  in  dispensing 
wisely  and  with  discrimination. 

At  the  time  of  the  founding  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  he  was,  as  we  have  seen,  rapidly 
making  his  way  in  the  house.  Mr.  Hitchcock,  his 
employer,  had  taken  a  great  personal  liking  to  the 
bright,  earnest  young  man  who  was  adding  so  rapidly 
to  the  receipts  and  reputation  of  the  business.  It 
was  natural  that,  when  Mr.  Hitchcock  became  Treas- 
urer of  the  Association,  he  should  invite  the  most 
energetic  of  its  members  to  discuss  matters  with  him 
at  his  private  house.  There  George  Williams  met, 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      243 

and  fell  in  love  with,  his  employer's  daughter,  Helen 
Hitchcock.  In  due  course,  according  to  the  fashion 
of  those  days,  he  approached  Mr.  Hitchcock  on  the 
subject,  having  obtained  through  his  friend  Mr.  Tarl- 
ton,  the  Secretary  of  the  Association,  an  assurance 
that  his  suit  would  not  be  looked  upon  with  disfavour. 
There  was  a  time,  it  is  true,  when  he  had  noted  in 
his  diary  a  determination  not  to  marry,  as  he  had 
concluded  that  marriage  might  interfere  with  his 
work  among  young  men,  but  in  Helen  Hitchcock  he 
found  one  who  sympathised  with,  and  for  over  fifty 
years  did  all  in  her  power  to  help  forward,  the  work 
of  his  beloved  Association.  He  was  married  at  the 
age  of  thirty -two,  having  been  made  a  partner  in  the 
business  some  months  previously.  It  is  impossible  to 
write  in  any  adequate  terms  of  the  love  and  devotion 
of  one  who  still  lives,  but  I  may  be  permitted  to  say 
that  throughout  his  long  life  Sir  George  Williams  had 
but  one  companion  and  but  one  confidante,  and  having 
her,  needed  no  other.  His  devotion  to  her  was  beau- 
tiful to  witness,  his  old-world  courtesy  a  thing  to 
dwell  lovingly  upon  in  memory.  His  wedding  anni- 
versary was  the  one  holiday  in  the  year  with  which 
nothing  was  ever  allowed  to  interfere.  He  always 
spent  it  alone  with  his  wife,  generally  visiting  some 
place  of  happy  remembrance  of  their  early  married 
days.  Of  Lady  Williams  all  that  may  be  said  is  that 
she  devoted  herself  day  and  night  through  more  than 
fifty  years  to  her  husband  and  to  the  work  they  both 


244  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

loved,  and  that  she  was  in  every  sense  his  second  self 
—  his  helpmeet. 

To  them  were  born  five  sons  who  survive  their 
father,  three  of  them  now  active  in  the  business,  one 
a  solicitor,  and  one  a  clergyman  in  the  Church  of 
England.  The  light  of  his  life  in  later  years  was  his 
youngest  child,  his  daughter  Nellie.  And  she  died. 
It  has  been  said  that  at  the  end  of  his  days  he  could 
look  back  upon  his  long  career  with  scarcely  a  sigh, 
that  in  all  his  life  there  was  little  of  the  tragedy  of 
battle,  little  of  darkness,  scarcely  a  cloud.  For  a 
time,  however,  the  deep  sorrow  of  his  daughter's 
death  at  the  age  of  nineteen  almost  blotted  out  the 
sunshine  of  seventy  years.  She  was  one  of  those 
bright  spirits  whose  memory  is  a  gladness  for  ever. 
Those  who  knew  her  talk  of  her  still;  she  is  unfor- 
gotten,  unforgettable.  If  she  had  lived  — "  The 
Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away;  blessed 
be  the  Name  of  the  Lord." 

George  Williams's  time  in  the  early  years  of  mar- 
ried life  was  so  crowded  with  engagements  of  every 
kind  that  his  children  saw  little  of  him,  except  on 
Saturday  night  when  he  would  read  to  them  from 
one  of  the  illustrated  weeklies,  impressing  upon  them 
the  importance  of  keeping  always  in  touch  with  the 
march  of  events,  and  upon  Sunday  morning  when  he 
always  accompanied  them  to  Portman  Chapel,  after- 
wards examining  them  upon  what  they  had  heard. 

He  held  to   the   strict,   old-fashioned   ideas   as   to 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      245 

their  upbringing,  and  the  Sabbath  atmosphere  was 
almost  Scottish  in  its  severity.  He  could  always  re- 
joice in  the  deep  and  devoted  affection  of  his  children. 
Those  who  were  nearest  him  loved  him  best.  That 
is  the  wreath  they  would  place  upon  his  grave. 

And  those  who  were  associated  with  him  in  his 
business  were  almost  as  devoted  as  his  immediate 
family.  The  head  of  a  great  concern  is  seldom  a 
hero  to  his  employees.  But  although  George  Wil- 
liams stood  in  the  fierce  glare  of  his  public  profession 
of  Christianity,  his  personality  was  most  attractive 
and  most  beautiful  to  those  who  came  in  contact  with 
him  day  by  day,  under  all  the  testing,  trying  circum- 
stances of  the  City's  warfare.  A  few  years  ago, 
when  he  was  in  a  very  critical  condition  of  health, 
one  who  was  close  in  his  business  confidence  said: 
"  I  have  known  him  intimately  these  many  years.  I 
see  him  not  merely  every  day,  but  almost  every  hour 
of  the  day  and  many  times  in  the  hour.  I  have  seen 
him  in  touch  with  men  of  all  classes  and  conditions, 
and  it  is  my  serious  and  sober  thought  that  I  shall 
never  see  his  like  again."  There  was  almost  a 
glamour  about  the  man.  By  the  magic  of  his  per- 
sonality he  was  able  to  retain  the  co-operation  of 
many  who  served  him  loyally  through  the  years  and 
helped  to  build  up  the  business  and  gloried  in  his 
success.  Hard-headed  men  of  business  were  willing 
to  sacrifice  themselves  and  their  own  immediate  ends 
to  help  forward  his  schemes.  He  was  surrounded 


246  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

by  the  most  devoted  set  of  business  men  which  it  has 
ever  been  the  good  fortune  of  an  employer  to  have 
under  his  control,  and  this  was  due  in  large  measure, 
no  doubt,  to  his  extraordinary  success  in  measuring 
and  weighing  the  abilities  and  possibilities  of  those 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

He  had  the  instincts  of  a  great  leader;  he  knew 
when  to  interfere  and  when  to  let  alone,  when  to 
encourage  and  when  to  reprimand;  he  trusted  men 
and  believed  in  them,  and  the  business  he  established 
is  a  monument  to  the  excellence  of  his  methods  and  a 
proof  of  the  justice  of  his  belief.  He  was,  indeed, 
rarely  mistaken  in  his  judgment  of  men,  never  trust- 
ing to  a  sudden  or  hasty  impulse.  He  was  always 
watching  men,  and  more  than  that,  the  men  knew 
they  were  watched,  and  when  a  promotion  was  made, 
it  was  understood  by  all  that  the  head  of  the  firm 
had  fully  and  carefully  considered  the  capacity  of 
the  individual.  He  had  a  great  idea  of  the  value 
of  responsibility.  Once  a  man  was  placed  by  him 
at  the  head  of  a  department,  it  was  only  in  the  rarest 
cases  that  he  interfered  with  his  methods  of  working. 
He  accorded  the  utmost  freedom  to  his  buyers,  and 
the  yearly  balance  sheets  of  their  departments  usu- 
ally justified  his  confidence.  If  they  did  not,  he  would 
immediately  reorganise,  again  waiting  a  year  or  more 
before  testing  results. 

No  one  will  ever  know  one  half  of  the  story  of  his 
kindness  to  those  in  his  employ.  There  must  be  living 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT 

to-day  hundreds  who  owe  to  his  help  and  guidance 
all  that  they  have  and  are.  Many  are  now  engaged 
solely  in  Christian  work ;  several  whom  he  encouraged 
and  whose  expenses  he  paid  are  now  in  the  ministry. 
A  single  case  may  be  mentioned  as  typical  of  others. 
One  day  he  happened  to  hear  that  a  porter  in  the 
establishment  had  a  real  gift  of  preaching.  He  inter- 
viewed him,  asked  him  of  his  ambitions  and  ended  by 
sending  him  to  college,  where  he  soon  took  a  high 
place.  At  this  present  time  he  occupies  a  distin- 
guished position  in  the  Church. 

All  who  came  to  him,  on  whatever  errand,  were 
spoken  to  of  their  soul's  salvation.  And,  as  an 
American  preacher  once  said,  "  he  had  within  him- 
self the  right  divine  to  speak  to  the  most  unfoolable 
lot  of  people  the  world  knows  —  young  men.  No 
man  had  any  doubt  of  his  right  to  talk  about  the 
spiritual  life." 

Often  he  would  spend  much  of  his  valuable  time 
in  the  City  office  on  his  knees  with  some  young  fel- 
low whom  he  would  lead  to  his  Master.  He  would 
look  along  the  line  of  young  men  who  waited  outside 
his  room  seeking  employment  and  always  give  the 
preference  of  a  first  interview  to  the  one  who  appeared 
most  discouraged  and  disheartened,  and  even  if  he 
could  not  offer  him  a  situation  the  young  man  never 
left  the  office  without  a  cheering  word,  without  some 
practical  help,  some  more  than  kindly  expression  of 
sympathy. 


248  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

In  his  room  hung  a  framed  card  illumined  with  the 
words  "  God  First."  Seldom  has  a  man  so  fully 
lived  up  to  the  motto  on  his  walls. 

The  Rev.  A.  R.  Buckland,  for  many  years  the 
chaplain  of  the  establishment  and  the  personal  friend 
of  its  chief,  tells  how,  as  a  newly  ordained  curate,  he 
first  went  to  the  great  house  of  business  in  St.  Paul's 
Churchyard  to  conduct  an  early  morning  service. 
"  To  me,"  he  writes,  "  it  was  a  new  thing  that  an 
establishment  of  such  a  character  and  of  such  a  size 
should  recognise  among  the  ordinary  circumstances 
of  its  daily  life  a  short  religious  service,  should  in- 
clude among  its  organisations  a  strong  aggressive 
missionary  society,  and  should  be  known  as  giving 
men  to  the  service  of  the  Churches  at  home  and  in 
the  mission  field."  That  this  element  of  religion  was 
in  no  way  a  matter  of  formality  was  shown  by  the 
fact  that  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Buckland  counted  among 
his  helpers  a  number  of  young  men  from  Messrs. 
Hitchcock,  Williams  &  Co.'s  establishment,  who,  after 
a  long  day's  toil  in  the  City  or  at  the  end  of  their 
week's  work,  rejoiced  to  take  part  in  the  voluntary 
labours  of  his  parish,  which  was  at  that  time  more 
largely  inhabited  by  the  criminal  classes  and  by  the 
pitifully  poor  than  any  other  part  of  London, 
was  obvious,"  he  continues,  "  that  the  religious  zeal 
of  the  head  of  the  firm  was  not  something  which 
peered  out  only  after  business  hours  or  upon  Sundays. 
It  penetrated  his  whole  life.  Some,  no  doubt,  were 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      249 

embarrassed  by,  and  some,  perhaps,  resented  his  in- 
quiries, tender  and  fatherly  as  they  were.  Yet  I  do 
not  doubt  that  many  of  these  whom  this  concern  for 
their  souls  filled  first  with  a  kind  of  alarm  as  well  as 
astonishment,  came  in  after  years  to  thank  God  for 
the  zeal  thus  shown." 

These  inquiries  were  by  no  means  confined  to  his 
intercourse  with  the  men  in  the  house.  His  question, 
"  What  are  you  doing  —  what  are  you  doing  —  for 
the  Master?  "  became  almost  a  form  of  greeting;  his 
parting  word  was  generally  a  text.  It  was  his  habit 
when  paying  the  cabmen  who  drove  him  home,  to  ask 
whether  they  were  married,  for  he  was  a  great  be- 
liever in  marriage  as  a  safeguard  against  temptation, 
and  then  whether  they  had  found  Christ.  To  all  he 
met  —  to  servants,  to  railway  porters,  to  the  casual 
acquaintance  of  his  journeys,  to  omnibus  conductors 
and  cabdrivers  —  to  all  he  put  his  searching  ques- 
tions. When  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  he  made  a  point 
of  speaking  to  every  soul  on  board  from  the  captain 
to  the  stoker,  from  the  poker-players  in  the  smoking- 
room  to  the  emigrants  in  the  steerage.  And  the 
remarkable  thing  is  that,  although  he  must  have 
spoken  thus  of  their  souls'  salvation  to  tens  of  thou- 
sands, he  could  never  recall  a  single  instance  when  he 
received  a  rude  or  mocking  retort,  a  splendid  tribute 
to  the  way  in  which  the  world  is  quick  to  recognise 
and  appreciate,  and  pay  homage  to,  true  Christian 
sincerity  when  accompanied,  as  it  was  in  the  case 


250  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

of  George  Williams,  with  the  rarest  tact  and  most 
modest  courtesy. 

Although  he  never  was  what  is  known  as  a  society 
man,  he  had  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  social  side 
of  life,  and  would  go  a  long  way  to  be  present  at  a 
wedding.  He  was  very  fond,  too,  of  children,  and 
when  at  the  seaside  might  often  be  found  addressing 
little  gatherings  on  the  sands.  One  of  the  last  pic- 
tures we  possess  of  him  was  taken  at  Filey,  in  his 
eighty-first  year.  It  shows  him  standing  on  a  sand 
castle  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  children  gathered 
together  by  the  Children's  Special  Service  Mission. 

His  constant  aim  was  to  make  his  business  a  model 
one  in  all  respects.  He  was  a  strict  disciplinarian 
in  matters  pertaining  to  dress,  and  had  a  weakness 
for  tall,  fine-looking  men.  He  was  himself  almost 
sensitive  with  regard  to  his  shortness  of  stature,  and 
was,  to  the  end,  one  of  the  best  groomed  men  in  the 
City.  His  one  great  abhorrence  was  tobacco,  which 
he  could  not  endure,  and  against  which  he  waged 
incessant  warfare.  In  the  arrangements  for  feeding 
and  sleeping  the  young  men  of  his  establishment  he 
set  an  example  of  practical  Christianity  which  was 
soon  followed  by  other  houses.  He  was  invariably  in 
the  forefront  of  those  who  desired  to  improve  the 
moral  and  material  status  of  business  young  men, 
always  contending  that  this  made  for  their  religious 
prosperity  as  well ;  and  it  is  certain  that  not  only  he 
himself,  but  the  Association  he  founded,  did  much 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      251 

to  bring  to  the  minds  of  employers  their  responsi- 
bilities towards  their  staff. 

He  was  one  of  the  mainstays  of  the  Early  Closing 
Association,  and  was  among  the  very  first  to  intro- 
duce the  Saturday  afternoon  holiday  into  City  ware- 
houses. In  the  last  report  of  the  Early  Closing 
Association  it  is  stated  that  after  his  death  the  pub- 
lic press  "  failed  to  do  justice  to  the  liberal  help 
rendered,  not  only  by  Sir  George  personally,  but  by 
the  firm  with  which  he  was  associated,  in  establish- 
ing on  a  national  basis  the  early  closing  movement, 
and  contributing  in  marked  degree  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a  weekly  half-holiday."  All  the  world  knows 
that,  revolutionary  as  the  task  of  creating  a  half- 
holiday  on  what  was  still,  in  business  phrase,  "  the 
heaviest  day  of  the  week  "  appeared  to  these  early 
enthusiasts,  it  has  in  great  measure  been  achieved, 
thanks  to  the  devotion  of  the  men  responsible  for  the 
movement,  among  whom  Earl  Shaftesbury  as  Presi- 
dent and  George  Williams  as  Treasurer  were  fellow- 
workers  and  conspicuous  figures. 

After  the  death  of  his  co-worker,  George  Williams 
remained  one  of  the  chief  forces  of  the  Association 
during  the  stormy  times  that  the  movement  was  des- 
tined to  encounter.  The  comparatively  rapid  success 
achieved  by  the  pioneers  of  the  Early  Closing  Move- 
ment in  certain  sections  of  the  business  community 
had  created  much  impatience  among  less  fortunate 
employees  in  other  branches.  A  great  outcry  arose 


252  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

that  the  aid  of  Parliament  should  be  invoked.  The 
camp  of  early  closers  was  almost  fatally  divided  for 
purposes  of  continued  effective  warfare.  Herein 
George  Williams's  deep  personal  interest  in  the  work, 
and  his  counsel  of  moderation  to  the  extremists  of 
both  sides,  were  of  the  utmost  value  to  the  cause  of 
further  progress.  Although  it  may  be  that  his  pref- 
erence lay  in  the  direction  of  persistent  voluntary 
effort,  he,  nevertheless,  gave  loyal  support  to  Lord 
Avebury  and  others  who  sought  legislation,  and  who 
were  supported  by  the  verdict  of  the  National  Early 
Closing  Congress  of  1888.  A  characteristic  letter 
addressed  by  him,  in  1867,  to  a  firm  inclined  to  with- 
draw from  the  agreement  for  Saturday  early  closing 
is  worth  quoting :  — 

"  Having  for  a  long  period  been  identified  with  the 
early-closing  movement/'  he  writes,  "we  cannot  refrain 
from  expressing  our  regret  that  so  eminent  a  firm  as  yours 
should  have  come  to  the  determination  to  take  the  lead  in 
what  we  fear  will  prove  to  be  a  retrograde  course.  We 
cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the  evils  that  have  manifested 
themselves  in  connection  with  Saturday  early  closing  — 
which  evils  are  capable  of  correction  —  but  we  are  con- 
vinced, and  we  think  the  public  is  becoming  increasingly 
convinced,  that  the  movement  is  a  good  one  and  deserving 
of  support.  We  think  it  has  been  established  beyond  all 
question  that  the  general  results  of  early  closing  have  been 
beneficial,  both  to  the  employer  and  the  employed.  It 
becomes,  then,  the  prerogative  and  the  privilege  of  the 
well-established  and  wealthy  firms  to  lead  the  trade  in 
this  matter. 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT 

"They  must  always  be  in  advance.  Four  o'clock 
amongst  them  leads  to  six,  seven,  and  eight  o'clock  closing 
amongst  the  smaller  tradesmen,  but  a  relapse  to  the  hours 
of  seven  and  eight  o'clock  amongst  the  leading  houses 
will,  we  fear,  restore  all  the  evils  of  ten,  eleven,  and  even 
twelve  o'clock  Saturday  shopping. 

"We  have  allowed  for  a  great  number  of  years  one 
third  of  our  retail  assistants  to  leave  at  two.  but  we  find 
that  so  long  as  the  establishment  is  kept  open,  others  will 
keep  open  without  allowing  the  boon. 

"  Hoping  that  you  will  be  induced  to  reconsider  your 
determination,  and  ultimately  to  close  at  two  o'clock  on 
Saturday, 

"  We  are,  yours  most  obediently, 

"  GEORGE  HITCHCOCK,  WILLIAMS  &  Co." 

Always  keenly  interested  in  matters  pertaining  to 
the  drapery  trade,  he  was  a  Vice-President  of  the 
Linen  and  Woollen  Drapers'  Institution,  presiding 
at  its  festival  dinner  in  1876.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  Cottage  Home  movement,  himself 
paying  for  two  cottages  at  Mill  Hill,  his  firm  erect- 
ing another  pair.  He  made  a  point  of  being  present 
at  the  annual  sports  of  the  athletic  association  of 
his  establishment  and  often  took  part  in  the  meetings 
of  its  Literary  and  Debating  Society.  The  St.  Paul's 
Missionary  Society,  of  which  he  had  been  one  of  the 
founders  in  his  early  days  in  the  house,  was  much  in 
his  thoughts.  On  something  like  fifty  occasions  he 
presided  at  its  annual  meetings,  taking  peculiar  in- 
terest and  pride  in  its  progress.  Mr.  Buckland  states 
that  his  manner  at  these  gatherings  was  that  of  a 


254  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

father  assisting  at  a  family  function.  "  No  one  who 
ever  saw  his  face  on  these  occasions  will  readily  for- 
get the  happiness  which  beamed  from  it ;  nor  perhaps 
will  the  missionaries  from  many  lands,  who  from- time 
to  time  addressed  these  gatherings,  soon  find  a  par- 
allel to  the  curious  combination  of  missionary  meeting 
and  family  party  at  which  they  assisted." 

During  his  early  and  middle  life  his  habits  were 
most  regular  and  punctual.  For  twenty  years  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Hitchcock  he  bore  alone  the  burden 
of  the  business.  He  was  in  his  office  every  morning 
by  nine  o'clock,  and  was  occupied  till  a  late  hour  in 
the  evening  with  correspondence  and  business  inter- 
views and  the  work  and  worry  entailed  in  the  man- 
agement of  an  ever-increasing  staff.  His  methods 
were  always  thoroughly  up-to-date.  He  had,  in 
unusual  measure,  that  capacity  of  anticipating  the 
market  and  the  public  taste,  so  valuable  in  every 
trade,  so  essential  in  the  drapery  business.  The 
exhibits  of  his  firm  at  the  International  Exhibition, 
held  in  London  in  1862,  at  the  Paris  Exposition  of 
1867,  and  the  Netherlands  Exhibition  of  1869,  at  all 
of  which  they  gained  high  awards  and  prize  medals, 
did  much  to  enlarge  the  business,  particularly  in 
mantles,  costumes,  and  all  "  made-up "  goods,  for 
which  Hitchcock,  Williams  &  Co.  have  held  ever  since 
a  foremost  position  in  the  trade.  Each  of  these 
exhibits  cost  the  firm  not  less  than  £1,000. 

The  business  is  now  one  of  the  most  important  of. 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      255 

its  class  in  the  world.  Gradually  the  wholesale  side 
developed  from  an  adjunct  to  the  retail  trade  into  a 
separate  department,  and  then  into  dimensions  which 
overshadowed  the  retail  trade,  although  this  has 
never  been  abandoned.  The  combination  of  whole- 
sale and  retail  was  one  of  the  most  striking  examples 
of  George  Williams's  commercial  keenness.  That  it 
would  be  resented  by  many  he  regarded  as  inevitable, 
but  it  brought  about  a  state  of  affairs  which  added 
immensely  to  the  prosperity  of  the  firm.  It  was  in 
this  wise.  One  of  the  most  lucrative  transactions  in 
the  drapery  trade  is  often  the  purchase  by  tender  of 
large  bankrupt  or  other  stocks,  which  are  offered 
almost  exclusively  to  wholesale  houses.  There  came 
a  time  when  such  wholesale  establishments  began  to 
feel  the  effects  of  competition  from  those  who  com- 
bined the  wholesale  and  retail  businesses.  Pressure 
was  brought  to  bear  upon  vendors  of  stocks  sold 
in  this  manner,  and  a  combination  of  the  leading 
wholesale  houses  refused  to  tender  unless  they  were 
guaranteed  against  the  competition  of  such  firms  as 
Hitchcock,  Williams  &  Co.  No  finer  advertisement 
of  the  ability  of  these  houses  to  pay  good  prices  and 
purchase  great  quantities  of  goods  could  possibly 
have  been  offered,  and  the  consequence  was  that,  in 
many  important  cases,  the  stocks  were  in  the  first 
place  offered  privately  to  Hitchcock,  Williams  &  Co., 
and,  when  they  had  had  their  pick  of  the  best  goods, 
the  remainder  was  put  up  for  tender.  There  can  be  no 


256  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

doubt  that  in  keeping  to  his  resolution  not  to  sacrifice 
either  the  wholesale  or  retail  side  of  his  business, 
George  Williams  acted  with  uncommon  foresight,  for, 
as  the  Draper  set  forth  in  1882,  "  it  must  occur  to 
any  person  of  experience  in  the  trade  that  the 
wholesale  and  retail  house  combined  possesses  a  great 
advantage,  inasmuch  as  it  is  in  daily,  intimate  con- 
tact with  the  public  and  hourly  feels  its  pulse,  as  it 
were,  with  respect  to  its  necessities,  and  so  is  able  to 
provide  the  proper  classes  of  goods  for  every  freak 
and  change  of  fashion.  .  .  .  The  business  of  such 
houses  immediately  represents  what  the  public  stands 
in  need  of,  as  well  as  shows  what  the  manufacturer 
can  supply.  Further,  it  is  a  capital  medium  for 
suggesting  to  the  maker  the  precise  needs  of  the  con- 
sumer, which  are  not  so  readily  found  out  by  the 
exclusively  wholesale  dealer,  who  can  only  form  con- 
jectures of  the  public  taste." 

The  foundations  of  George  Williams's  large  for- 
tune were,  undoubtedly,  laid  in  the  time  of  the  Franco- 
Prussian  War,  the  effects  of  which  upon  British  trade 
have  never  been  justly  appreciated.  It  was  largely 
owing  to  the  sudden  cessation,  at  this  juncture,  of 
supplies  from  the  two  great  Continental  countries 
that  Britain  held  her  position  for  so  long  as  the  one 
great  market-place  of  the  world.  For  years  Conti- 
nental competition  in  the  Colonies  and  in  America  was 
crushed,  while  the  British  retail  draper,  who  in  some 
cases  had  begun  to  buy  direct  from  the  Continent, 


SIB  GEORGE  WILLIAMS.    PROM  THE  PAINTING  OF  THE  HON.  JOHN  COLLYER 

Presented  by  the  members  of  his  house  of  business  on 
the  Jubilee  of  the  firm 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      257 

finding  his  orders  unfulfilled,  was  forced  to  fall  back 
upon  the  home  wholesale  houses,  holding  as  they  did 
the  only  stocks  available.  The  trade  of  the  civilised 
globe  passed,  of  necessity,  through  British  hands,  for 
the  United  States  was  then  only  feeling  its  way  into 
outside  markets.  French  and  German  ports  were 
closed  to  commerce,  and  all  British  stocks  of  drapery 
goods,  which  are  so  largely  of  Continental  manufac- 
ture, increased  immensely  in  value,  while  orders  poured 
into  London  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  These 
were  the  golden  years  of  English  commerce.  George 
Williams  seized  the  opportunity  of  adding  immensely 
to  the  connections  of  his  business,  never  speculating 
or  undertaking  hazardous  ventures,  but  pushing  for- 
ward in  all  directions,  watching  the  returns  grow  as 
by  magic  under  his  hands,  and  in  all  glorifying  God 
who  had  given  the  increase  and  giving  back  to  Him 
nearer  a  half  than  a  tenth  of  all  he  possessed. 

These  were  arduous  and  stirring  times  for  all 
commercial  men,  but,  after  a  day  full  every  moment 
of  anxious  work,  he  would  leave  his  office,  snatch  a 
hurried  meal,  and  spend  his  evenings  at  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  or  at  meetings  of  other 
religious  societies.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that 
often  several  months  would  pass  without  a  single 
evening  spent  at  home.  One  who  was  much  with  him 
in  these  days  remembers  how  one  evening  he  was  in- 
vited to  have  supper  at  Woburn  Square.  George 
Williams  was  very  tired  — "  for  once  he  seemed 

IT 


258  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

utterly  dead-beat  "  — -  and  was  looking  forward  to  a 
quiet  evening.  As  soon  as  he  reached  the  house,  how- 
ever, his  wife,  who  examined  his  engagement  book 
every  day,  reminded  him  that  he  had  promised  to 
be  present  at  a  meeting  that  night.  The  occasion 
was  of  no  particular  importance,  and  his  absence 
would  not  have  been  of  great  consequence,  but  only 
serious  illness  was  ever  allowed  as  an  excuse  for 
breaking  such  a  promise.  He  did  not  hesitate  a 
moment.  With  only  a  mouthful  to  eat  he  started 
off  again,  taking  his  companion  with  him. 

His  interests  were,  as  I  have  tried  to  show,  by  no 
means  confined  to  the  great  and  successful  work  with 
which  his  name  will  be  for  ever  linked.  They  were, 
indeed,  so  many  and  varied  that,  if  I  were  to  attempt 
even  a  bare  catalogue  of  the  means  adopted  by  this 
successful  merchant  to  further  the  Gospel,  there 
would  be  no  bounds  to  the  length  of  this  book. 

It  was  George  Williams's  pleasing  habit  to  invite 
friends  to  lunch  with  him  in  his  private  room  in  the 
establishment,  that  room  which  has  often  been  so 
graphically,  though  erroneously,  pictured  as  the 
birthplace  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
It  is  true  that  it  exists  to-day  much  as  it  did  in  1844, 
when,  the  membership  having  outgrown  the  Upper 
Room,  it  was  used  for  one  or  two  committee  meetings 
before  the  Association  obtained  a  room  in  St.  Martin's 
Coffee  House,  but  it  is  some  way  removed  from  the 
place  of  the  actual  bedroom  in  which  the  members 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT 

first  met,  and  in  which  the  Association  was  definitely 
started.  The  Upper  Room  was  demolished  during 
one  of  the  enlargements  of  the  premises. 

His  most  intimate  friends  had  their  regular  lunch 
days,  but  the  company  was  usually  augmented  by 
those  who  called  to  see  him  either  on  business  or  in 
connection  with  religious  work.  Here  he  would  enter- 
tain old  friends  from  the  West  Country,  missionaries, 
evangelists,  American  visitors,  secretaries  of  distant 
associations,  representatives  from  the  foreign  mission 
field.  He  delighted  in  nothing  so  much  as  in  listening 
to  accounts  of  the  progress  of  God's  work.  He  loved 
to  encourage  and  inspire  God's  workers.  I  have  be- 
fore me  a  number  of  letters  from  those  whom  he 
heartened  in  this  way.  "  One  of  the  rank  and  file," 
a  missionary  from  Western  China,  writes  of  how  the 
words  of  good  cheer  spoken  in  that  little  room  had 
remained  with  him  throughout  the  years  of  toil  and 
persecution ;  another,  a  country  clergyman,  of  the 
way  in  which  his  heart  was  made  to  glow  as  they 
talked  together  of  the  goodness  of  God  and  of  the 
greatness  of  the  work ;  a  stranger  from  America  of 
how  he  carried  the  blessing  he  had  received  at  parting 
across  the  Atlantic.  Many  letters  testify  to  his  kind- 
ness in  sending  bocks  to  unknown  correspondents ;  of 
the  modesty  and  simplicity  of  his  bearing  when  men 
spoke  of  the  work  he  had  accomplished;  of  how  he 
would  say,  "  The  work  is  not  mine,  it  is  all  the 
Lord's,  and  to  Him  we  must  give  the  glory  " ;  of  his 


260  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

unfailing  courtesy  to  the  youngest  stranger  who 
called  upon  him.  After  lunch  it  was  his  custom  to 
spend  fifteen  minutes  in  prayer,  to  supplicate  special 
mercies  upon  the  varied  work  represented  by  those 
gathered  round  him.  And  then  he  would  place  his 
hand  on  the  head  of  any  who  were  journeying  to 
distant  lands  and  bless  them  with  a  truly  apostolic 
benediction. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  more  than  one  or  two  ex- 
amples of  the  way  in  which  Sir  George  Williams's 
influence  permeated  the  religious  activities  of  his 
time.  He  was  connected,  more  or  less  intimately, 
with  nearly  every  prominent  evangelistic  institution 
in  the  country  and  was  the  main  support  of  many 
humbler  endeavours.  His  contributions  to  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society  were  very  large ;  he  gave 
lavishly  to  missionary  societies  of  all  denominations. 
His  generosity  recognised  no  limitations  of  creed. 
He  took  part,  for  instance,  in  the  reopening  of 
Whitefield's  Tabernacle  and  gave  a  large  sum  towards 
the  erection  of  an  Anglican  church  at  Exeter,  in 
which  his  son,  the  Rev.  Charles  Williams,  was  pe- 
culiarly interested.  But  perhaps  more  characteristic 
examples  of  his  breadth  of  mind  and  wide  generosity 
are  to  be  found  in  the  records  of  lesser  known  socie- 
ties, such  as  the  Commercial  Travellers'  Christian 
Association,  the  object  of  which  is  primarily  the 
promotion  of  intercourse  among  Christian  commer- 
cial men  with  a  view  to  counteracting  the  special 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      261 

temptations  of  the  "  road  " ;  of  the  Christian  Com- 
munity of  those  who  work  voluntarily  among  the 
poorest  of  London's  poor,  especially  in  the  work- 
houses ;  the  Seamen's  Christian  Friend  Society,  which 
ministers  to  the  welfare  of  sick  and  destitute  seamen 
and  carries  on  missions  in  some  forty  British  ports ; 
of  the  Soldiers'  Christian  Association,  with  its  four 
hundred  branches  scattered  throughout  the  Empire; 
of  the  London  Cabmen's  Mission;  of  the  London 
Tramcar  and  Omnibus  Scripture  Text  Mission, 
whose  object  is  to  arrange  for  the  exhibition  of 
texts  in  trams,  omnibuses,  and  railway  carriages, 
and  even  of  such  a  society  as  the  Christian  Cyclists' 
Union.  These  are  but  a  few  out  of  many  similar 
institutions  which  had  ever  a  warm  place  in  his  heart 
and  which  now  mourn  the  loss  of  one  who  never 
wearied  in  forwarding  the  work  by  his  counsel  and 
never  failed  them  in  their  hours  of  need.  He  was 
present,  almost  till  the  last,  at  all  the  important 
Committee  meetings  of  the  Aged  Pilgrims'  Society, 
and  it  was  said  that  at  the  London  City  Mission  he 
was,  even  as  a  very  old  man,  one  of  the  keenest  and 
most  acute  examiners  of  candidates,  one  whose  judg- 
ment of  the  suitability  of  an  applicant  for  the  post 
of  missioner  all  held  in  honour.  In  earlier  days  he 
had  conducted  services  in  many  of  the  London 
theatres  and  music  halls,  and  he  always  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  supper  given  on  Good  Friday 
to  theatre  employees.  Each  year,  immediately  straw- 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

berries  were  obtainable,  and  before  they  became 
common  and  plentiful,  he,  with  sone  ladies  engaged 
in  Rescue  Work,  gave  a  midnight  fc<  strawberry  tea  " 
to  the  women  of  the  London  streets.  He  spent  the 
whole  evening  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Strand 
inviting  them  personally,  and  afterwards  served  them 
himself  with  the  choicest  fruit  that  money  could  buy, 
treating  all  with  noble  courtesy,  as  if  they  had  been 
the  first  ladies  in  the  land. 

And  whatever  the  demands  upon  his  time  and 
purse,  he  did  not  forget  or  neglect  the  least  ostenta- 
tious work  with  which  he  had  ever  been  connected. 
One  of  his  most  intimate  friends  conducts  a  mission 
at  Bromley,  in  Kent,  and  for  twenty  years  without 
a  break  George  Williams  occupied  the  chair  at  its 
annual  meeting,  often  postponing  important  engage- 
ments to  be  present,  and,  to  the  last,  was  as  keenly 
interested  in  its  welfare  as  if  its  work  had  been  of 
world-wide  dimensions. 

He  was  appealed  to  from  every  side,  and  I  doubt 
whether,  in  the  years  of  his  strength,  a  single  gen- 
uine application  from  an  individual  or  a  society 
working  on  the  old  evangelical  lines  for  the  advance 
of  Christ's  Kingdom  was  ever  refused. 

He  loved  to  brighten  the  life  and  strengthen  the 
hand  of  some  struggling  minister  of  the  Gospel.  It 
mattered  not  by  what  name  he  was  called,  to  what 
denomination  he  belonged.  You  could  no  more  chain 
George  Williams  to  a  sect  than  you  can  tame  the 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      263 

libertine    breezes    or    control    the   wilful    spring,    as 
Morley   Punshon  used  to   say  of  Whitefield. 

I  have  tried  to  show  that  he  took  no  narrow  or 
restricted  view  of  Christian  enterprise.  He  was,  for 
instance,  particularly  fond  of  giving  substantial, 
though  unobtrusive,  help  to  poor  ministers  and 
workers  in  need  of  a  holiday,  and  one  of  the  monu- 
ments of  his  generosity  is  "  Hazelwood,"  the  "  Home 
of  Rest  and  Recreation  for  Young  Men  "  at  Ryde, 
to  which  passing  reference  has  already  been  made. 
This  building  was  originally  only  rented  by  the 
Association,  but  George  Williams  became  so  con- 
vinced, during  several  visits  to  Ryde,  of  its  value  as 
a  seaside  home,  that  he  determined  to  make  a  present 
of  it  to  the  young  men  of  Britain.  Accordingly  he 
acquired  the  premises,  at  a  cost  of  over  £3,700,  and 
handed  them  over  to  fifteen  trustees,  to  be  held  by 
them  for  u  the  benefit  of  commercial  young  men, 
without  any  regard  to  religious  distinction,  under 
the  management  of  a  committee  selected  from  mem- 
bers of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association."  In 
the  entrance  hall  of  Hazelwood  a  marble  tablet  bears 
this  inscription :  "  Humbly  and  gratefully  following 
the  Divine  example,  and  in  hope  of  promoting  the 
Glory  of  God  and  the  welfare  of  young  men,  this  home 
of  rest  and  recreation  for  commercial  young  men  has 
been  purchased  and  placed  in  trust  for  their  benefit 
by  George  Williams,  Treasurer  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  London." 


264  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

"  Shaftesbury  House,"  Margate  —  originally  the 
Carlton  Hotel  —  was  another  of  his  generous  gifts 
to  the  Association.  It  was  opened  in  188%  by  the 
Earl  of  Shaftesbury  himself,  and  has  since  that  time 
proved  an  invaluable  boon  to  thousands  of  young 
men  from  the  cities. 

His  office  in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard  was  like  a 
crowded  consulting-room.  People  from  all  parts  of 
the  country  came  to  seek  his  advice.  He  was  asked 
to  settle  family  disputes,  he  was  consulted  by  young 
men  and  women  on  most  delicate  and  difficult  ques- 
tions, and,  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  officers 
of  the  Salvation  Army,  to  no  one  was  so  much  of 
the  hidden  side  of  life  revealed.  To  all  who  had 
fallen  or  who  were  on  the  brink  he  was  unfailing  in 
sympathy  and  consideration.  He  would  sometimes 
ask  the  Secretaries  of  the  Association  what  they 
knew  of  a  certain  young  man  who  had  been  writing 
or  calling  for  help.  The  report  might  be  unsatis- 
factory, the  present  condition  of  want  the  result  of 
flagrant  misdoing,  but  his  inevitable  reply  to  the 
suggestion  that  the  young  man  should  be  left  alone 
would  be,  "  No,  no !  As  the  Lord  has  been  merciful 
to  him,  we  must  be  merciful  too.  We  don't  know  what 
the  poor  fellow  may  have  had  to  struggle  against. 
The  Lord  knows."  He  hated  to  hear  evil  of  any 
man.  He  preferred  to  be  imposed  upon  rather  than 
to  lose  faith  in  humanity.  "  If  you  cannot  say  any- 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      265 

thing  good  of  him,"  he  would  protest  when  his  friends 
tried  to  enlighten  him,  "  I  don't  want  to  hear  any- 
thing else." 

On  one  occasion  it  is  remembered  that,  while  a 
number  of  important  customers  and  others  were  wait- 
ing to  see  him,  his  door  remained  closed  for  a  long 
time  and  inquiries  were  made  as  to  the  cause  of  this 
unwonted  delay.  It  appeared  that  a  young  man, 
a  son  of  wealthy  parents  in  the  Midlands,  had  been 
compelled  to  leave  home  and  had  been  subsequently 
discharged  from  his  employment,  in  London  on 
account  of  dishonesty.  In  a  state  bordering  on 
starvation,  he  begged  an  interview  with  George 
Williams.  In  spite  of  the  pressure  of  business  and 
other  engagements  the  head  of  the  house  spent  a 
considerable  time  talking  and  praying  with  this  un- 
known young  man,  giving  him  sufficient  money  to 
obtain  clothes  and  suitable  lodgings,  and  telling  him 
to  come  again  in  a  week's  time  to  report  progress. 
Ultimately  he  was  engaged  in  the  house,  but  the 
kindness  shown  was  not  reciprocated,  and  trouble  of 
one  kind  and  another  arose.  George  Williams  would 
not  despair,  however,  and  for  over  a  year  everything 
that  Christian  sympathy  could  suggest  was  attempted 
to  help  this  young  fellow,  who  subsequently  became 
reinstated  in  a  respectable  position. 

George  Williams  made  it  a  custom  during  later 
years  to  walk  out  in  the  neighbourhood  of  his  home 
Jn  Russell  Square  on  Sunday  afternoon  giving  away 


266  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

booklets  and  tracts  to  those  whom  he  met,  always 
keenly  alive  to  any  opportunity  of  getting  into  con- 
versation with  the  young  men  he  might  encounter. 
One  Sunday,  while  thus  engaged,  he  came  across  a 
young  fellow  who  appeared  to  be  in  a  condition  of 
abject  need.  He  asked  him  if  he  could  be  of  any 
service,  and  the  young  man  at  once  replied,  "  The}7" 
tell  me  there  's  a  man  called  Williams  living  some- 
where about  here  who  will  help  a  fellow  when  he  's 
down.  I  wish  I  could  find  him."  "  Wrell,"  he  an- 
swered, "  my  name  is  Williams.  You  had  better  come 
and  see  me  in  the  City."  And,  as  in  thousands  of 
cases,  he  devoted  time  and  effort  to  help  "  the  man  who 
was  down." 

His  correspondence  was  enormous.  Every  post 
brought  some  anxious  inquiry  from  young  men  in 
search  of  guidance,  often  enough  a  letter  from  some 
mother  who  had  lost  trace  of  her  son  and  was  fearful 
of  his  fate  in  the  City,  from  some  head  of  a  house- 
hold who  had  failed  in  business  and  was  near  the 
abyss.  All  received  an  answer,  and  every  reply  spoke 
in  eloquent  sympathy  of  his  keen  realisation  of  the 
burdens  of  others  and  of  his  readiness  to  help  to  the 
utmost  of  his  power. 

These  are  but  a  few  instances  of  the  way  in  which 
he  made  himself  beloved  by  all.  The  story  of  his 
benevolence,  of  his  goodness  to  those  in  distress,  is 
not  for  paper  and  print.  Moreover,  he  was,  through- 
out his  life,  careful  to  destroy  every  paper  of  private 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    MERCHANT      267 

Importance  that  came  into  his  hands,  and  he  had  every 
justification  for  such  a  precaution,  for  he  was  the 
recipient  of  countless  confidences  which  should  be, 
and  have  been,  buried  in  the  grave.  I  cannot,  and 
would  not  if  I  could,  lift  the  veil  that  hides  the 
multitudinous  tragedies  of  life  which  came  within 
his  ken,  and  which,  in  manners  known  and  unknown, 
he  relieved  and  softened.  There  are  living  to-day 
many  who  came  to  him  in  the  great  and  terrible 
crises  of  their  lives  and  left  him  encouraged,  strength- 
ened, to  start  afresh  on  a  new  and  nobler  road.  No 
finer  monument  to  his  memory  can  be  raised  than 
the  simple  statement  that  he  who  knew  a  thousand 
secrets  never  betrayed  a  single  confidence. 

In  the  last  great  gathering  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral 
there  were  many  who  had  thus  visited  him  in  their 
distress ;  there  were  none  whom  he  had  sent  empty 
away.  It  is  true  that  he  never  missed  an  occasion  of 
speaking  the  word  in  season.  There  are  not  a  few 
of  whom  the  same  may  be  said,  and  of  some  it  is 
true  that  their  religion  ends  with  their  speech.  But 
he  was  above  all  things  a  doer  of  the  Word,  and  the 
records  of  his  deeds  are  graven  on  a  thousand  hearts, 
are  living  in  a  thousand  lives. 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE   YEARS   OF   TRIUMPH 

r  I  iHE  Jubilee  of  the  foundation  of  the  Young 
J[  Men's  Christian  Association  held  in  London 
in  June,  1894,  was  more  than  a  striking  public 
recognition  of  the  position  attained  by  the  society. 
The  enormous  gathering  of  delegates  from  all  parts 
of  the  world,  from  every  great  nation  on  the  Conti- 
nent of  Europe,  from  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
from  India,  Australia,  New  Zealand,  China,  Japan, 
Persia,  and  South  and  West  Africa ;  the  great  meet- 
ings, honoured  by  the  presence  of  the  foremost  men 
of  many  lands  and  marked  by  almost  unparalleled 
enthusiasm  —  these  were  something  more  than  a  tri- 
umph for  the  Association.  The  celebration  assumed 
almost  unconsciously  the  form  of  an  overwhelming 
testimony  to  the  place  George  Williams  held  in  the 
esteem  of  the  people  and  in  the  personal  affection 
of  every  member  of  the  Association  the  world  over. 
No  wonder  that  his  motto  for  the  Jubilee  year  was, 
"  They  thanked  God  and  took  courage,"  for  at  the 
Conference  the  figures  showed  that  the  number  of 
Associations  had  grown  in  the  fifty  years  to  over 
five  thousand  with  a  membership  of  half  a  million. 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

The  Jubilee  gathering  was  the  largest  delegated 
religious  convention  ever  held  in  the  British  Isles. 
The  interest  it  aroused  was  well  reflected  in  the  space 
given  to  reports  of  its  meetings  in  the  great  London 
and  provincial  daily  papers  which,  with  one  notable 
exception,  wrote  of  its  work  in  the  most  sympathetic 
manner.  Shortly  before  the  date  fixed  for  the 
Jubilee  the  Queen  offered  to  George  Williams  the 
honour  of  knighthood  in  acknowledgment  of  his 
"  distinguished  service  to  the  cause  of  humanity." 
A  few  years  previously  he  had  been  awarded  the 
medal  of  honour  of  the  "  Society  for  the  Encourage- 
ment of  Good  "  for  special  services  of  merit.  Mr. 
J.  H.  Putterill,  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, to  whose  organising  ability  and  admirable 
planning  the  Jubilee  celebrations  owed  much  of  their 
success,  was  with  him  when  he  received  the  letter  from 
the  Earl  of  Rosebery  communicating  Her  Majesty's 
pleasure.  After  reading  it  his  face  grew  pale;  his 
voice  was  choked  with  feeling  as  he  spoke  of  its  con- 
tents. The  whole  thing  was  so  utterly  unexpected  by 
this  humble  Christian  worker.  Handing  the  letter  to 
the  Secretary,  he  said,  "  What  do  you  think  of  that?  " 
He  replied,  "  Sir,  it  is  a  well  deserved  honour."  "  No, 
no,"  said  George  Williams,  "  it  is  not  for  me,  it  is 
for  the  Association.  It  belongs  to  our  Master,  let 
us  put  it  at  His  feet."  Then  they  knelt  in  prayer, 
and  in  humble  tones  he  gave  the  recognition  to  Him 
to  whom  he  felt  it  was  rightly  due.  This  was, 


I'lioio  by] 


[Ellis  &  Wallery 


SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  IN  COURT  DRESS 


Photographed  on  the  day  he  received  the  honour  of  knighthood 
from  Queen  Victoria 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          273 

indeed,  his  attitude  in  acknowledging  all  the  honours 
bestowed  upon  him.  He  made  no  secret  of  his  pleas- 
ure in  these  tributes,  for  he  felt  that  each  was  a  true 
compliment  paid  to  the  Association,  that  in  praising 
him  men  were  at  last  giving  rightful  recognition  to 
the  work  he  had  founded  and  for  which  he  had 
worked  so  well. 

The  knighthood  conferred  upon  George  Williams 
was  one  of  the  most  popular  honours  of  modern 
times.  The  two  thousand  delegates  who  reached 
London  on  the  last  day  of  May  were  delighted  be- 
yond measure ;  it  placed  the  crown  of  rej  oicing  upon 
their  celebration.  And  there  was  no  one  throughout 
Her  Majesty's  empire  who  did  not  feel  that  it  was 
good  thus  to  knight  a  good  man.  As  the  Archdeacon 
of  London  said  at  one  of  the  early  meetings  of  the 
Jubilee  Conference,  it  had  been  suggested  of  late 
by  certain  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  that 
whenever  such  honours  were  granted  by  the  Queen 
the  reasons  should  be  set  forth  in  the  patent  con- 
ferring the  title.  In  many  cases  this  would  be  a 
very  difficult  task  and  sometimes,  if  the  truth  had 
necessarily  to  be  told,  the  party  leaders  would  have 
to  admit  reasons  which  would  be  ill-received  by  the 
general  public.  But  in  the  case  of  Sir  George 
Williams  the  statement  would  have  been  a  plain  one 
-the  simple,  incomparable  record  of  good  achieved 
and  a  life  nobly  lived. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  there  has  ever  visited  Lon- 

18 


274  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

don  a  more  remarkable  body  of  men  than  these 
representatives  from  Associations  in  many  lands. 
Few  of  the  foreign  delegates  spoke  English  with 
fluency,  some  were  compelled  to  pin  their  faith  to  that 
most  tantalising  of  guides,  the  phrase  book.  Some, 
no  doubt,  were  a  little  uncertain  of  their  reception 
in  an  unknown  land,  but  wherever  they  were  quartered 
—  and  for  the  most  part  they  were  divided  among 
the  homes  of  those  interested  in  the  Association  — 
they  were  received  with  unbounded  cordiality,  and 
entertained  in  a  manner  which  did  full  credit  to 
British  hospitality.  There  was  not  a  delegate  who 
returned  to  his  home  without  a  better  understanding 
of  the  British  nation  and  a  higher  regard  for  its 
people  and  its  principles.  It  was  inevitable  that  with 
such  a  concourse  and  amid  such  a  confusion  of 
languages,  many  amusing  misunderstandings  should 
occur,  and  there  are  houses  in  which  you  may  still 
hear  ludicrous  accounts  of  the  exciting  episodes  of 
these  Jubilee  days  when  the  whole  of  the  family's 
education  was  paraded  in  order  to  explain  the  simplest 
matters  of  daily  routine  and  to  entertain  and  en- 
lighten their  visitors. 

The  Jubilee  was  a  triumph  of  organisation.  Since 
its  purchase  by  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, Exeter  Hall  has  always  been  looked  upon 
as  a  great  organising  centre,  but  never  before  or 
since  have  its  resources  been  taxed  to  such  an 
extent,  and  never  have  the  efforts  of  its  officials  been 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          275 

crowned  with  such  signal  success.  The  labour  in- 
volved in  the  preliminary  work  alone  was  enormous. 
A  week's  hospitality  had  to  be  obtained  for  two 
thousand  guests,  details  arranged  for  their  re- 
ception at  the  various  stations,  notices,  tickets,  and 
coupons  printed  in  three  languages,  and  provision 
made  for  meals,  for  information  bureaux,  for  post- 
offices  and  writing-rooms  in  Exeter  Hall.  And 
from  first  to  last  there  was  not  a  single  serious 
interruption  in  the  programme  arranged  for  the 
week. 

The  central  figure  of  all  the  wonderful  gatherings 
in  that  wonderful  week  was  Sir  George  Williams. 
He  seemed  absolutely  tireless.  His  whole  being  radi- 
ated joy  and  enthusiasm.  He  was  in  very  deed  the 
life  and  soul  of  the  meetings,  not  missing  a  single 
one  of  any  importance,  and  when  relieved  for  a  few 
hours  from  his  really  arduous  position  in  the  chair, 
still  sitting  near  the  central  desk  on  the  platform 
listening  intently  to  the  speeches  as  they  were 
repeated  in  the  three  official  languages  of  the 
Conference. 

One  of  the  most  gratifying  features  of  the  cele- 
bration was  the  warm  sympathy  shown  to  the  Asso- 
ciation by  all  classes  of  the  community.  Early  in 
1894  Sir  George  Williams,  as  President  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, invited  the  clergymen  and  ministers  of  all 
denominations  to  preach  special  sermons  commem- 
orative of  the  work,  and  his  letter  received  a  cordial 


276  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

response  from  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  who 
wrote  wishing  God-speed  to  such  united  efforts  as  the 
Association  represented  for  Christianising  and  as- 
sisting young  men.  No  fewer  than  fourteen  hundred 
clergymen  and  ministers  arranged  to  preach  "  Asso- 
ciation "  sermons  on  Sunday,  the  third  of  June,  on 
which  day  a  public  thanksgiving  service  was  held  in 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 

On  the  previous  Friday  the  Bishop  of  London 
opened  the  celebration  by  a  special  sermon  in  West- 
minster Abbey,  when  over  two  thousand  persons 
crowded  the  building,  stretching  away  from  the  glim- 
mer of  transepts  and  choir  stalls  into  the  shadowy 
gloom  of  the  Abbey's  recesses.  Immediately  after  the 
sermon  the  delegates  were  welcomed  to  London  in 
Exeter  Hall,  where  notices  in  many  languages  had 
been  posted  in  the  corridors,  where  secretaries,  inter- 
preters, porters,  and  commissionaires  moved  about  in 
a  perfect  babel  of  tongues.  Here  was  to  be  heard  the 
clamour  of  Germans  from  North  and  South  min- 
gling with  the  more  guttural  tones  of  the  Swiss,  the 
elegant  Parisian  accent  contrasting  with  the  pro- 
vincial speech  of  Vaudois  and  Meridional,  and  above 
all  the  ever-varying  intonations  of  men  from  all 
parts  of  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  America,  and 
the  Colonies. 

When  Sir  George  Williams  made  his  appearance, 
the  whole  audience  rose  and  cheered  vociferously. 
He  was  accompanied  by  Prince  Oscar  Bernadotte, 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          277 

who  had  travelled  from  Sweden  in  a  special  steamer 
with  more  than  two  hundred  delegates  and  newspaper 
correspondents  sent  to  report  the  Conference  for  the 
Swedish  Press,  and  by  a  representative  gathering  of 
friends  of  the  Association,  including  Mr.  William 
Creese  and  Mr.  Norton  Smith,  two  of  its  original 
members.  His  speech  of  welcome  was  probably  one 
of  the  happiest  and  most  characteristic  he  ever  de- 
livered. He  was  full  of  the  pride  of  the  work,  of 
the  welcome  given  to  the  delegates  by  the  City  of 
London,  by  "  the  nobles  and  great  people,"  by  the 
Prime  Minister  and  by  Her  Majesty  the  Queen;  full 
of  thanksgiving  to  the  delegates  themselves,  many 
of  whom  showed  plainly  that  they  had  borne  the 
burden  of  many  days,  working  for  years  in  obscurity, 
fighting  an  unnumbered  host  of  difficulties,  preju- 
dices, and  misunderstandings,  but  now  rejoiced  in 
this  splendid  consummation  of  their  labours. 

"  I  am,"  he  said,  "  delighted  to  see  you  all.  God 
bless  you,  and  may  God  give  us  a  wonderful  Con- 
ference. They  talk  about  religion  being  played  out. 
Never  a  bit  of  it.  Was  it  ever  stronger  or  more  to 
the  front  than  it  is  to-day?  Have  the  authorities 
and  men  in  high  places  ever  recognised  the  spiritual 
work  which  you  are  carrying  on  as  they  do  to-day? 
And  permit  me  to  say  as  to  the  honour  conferred 
upon  me  "  -  here  a  remarkable  outburst  interrupted 
him,  the  whole  audience  rising  to  a  man,  cheering 
themselves  hoarse,  and  waving  their  handkerchiefs 


278  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

—  "  permit  me  to  say  that  there  was  no  reason  why 
I  should  have  accepted  that  honour  except  for  your 
sakes.  It  is  given  to  me  that  I  may  share  it  with  you, 
and  we  will  all  be  partakers  of  it  and  feel  that  the 
Lord  has  brought  honour  upon  His  Name."  Ad- 
dresses of  welcome  were  then  delivered  by  the  Arch- 
deacon of  London,  who  was  particularly  successful 
in  addressing  both  the  German  and  French  delegates 
in  their  own  language,  and  who  spoke  finely  of  the 
Association  as  a  "  living  protest  for  unity  of  the 
spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace,"  and  of  its  members  as 
representatives  of  the  grand  truth  of  the  spiritual 
priesthood  of  the  laity  and  "  of  their  right  to  preach 
and  teach  God's  holy  word  in  highways  and  byways 
without  infringing  on  the  settled  duties  of  the  or- 
dained regular  ministry." 

The  following  day  was  given  up  to  devotional 
and  business  Conferences,  to  a  general  report  of 
the  Central  International  Committee,  and  to  reports 
from  the  various  countries.  The  delegates  were  en- 
tertained each  day  to  lunch  and  tea  in  the  enormous 
marquee  erected  on  the  Thames  Embankment  on  a 
site  lent  by  the  Corporation  of  London.  The  scene 
presented  by  this  gigantic  picnic  and  by  the  stream 
of  delegates  as  they  poured  from  the  Strand  along 
the  Thames  Embankment  was  a  truly  remarkable 
one.  As  showing  the  work  entailed  by  these  celebra- 
tions, it  is  worth  recording  that  the  statistics  of  the 
Jubilee  catering  showed  that  12,500  Ibs.  of  meat, 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          279 

24,000  dinner  rolls,  and  2%  tons  of  potatoes  were 
consumed  at  these  meals. 

The  speeches  at  the  Jubilee  Conference  afforded 
an  excellent  survey  of  the  work  throughout  the  world 
and  were  thoroughly  practical  in  character.  It  was 
a  happy  augury  for  the  future  success  of  the  Asso- 
ciation that  little  time  was  given  to  retrospect  and 
none  wasted  in  boasting.  Throughout  them  all  the 
note  of  thanksgiving  blended  into  the  trumpet-call 
of  progress.  The  most  eloquent  plea  for  a  forward 
policy  came  from  the  Continental  delegates,  and 
while  there  was  no  suggestion  from  any  quarter  of 
changing  the  Paris  basis  of  the  work,  it  was  notable 
how  broad  had  become  the  interpretation  of  the  scope 
of  the  Association,  how  tolerant  its  views  on  many 
debatable  points.  From  Scotland  and  from  Ireland, 
from  Austria  and  Hungary;  from  Belgium,  where, 
in  spite  of  much  Roman  Catholic  opposition,  an 
excellent  evangelistic  work  was  in  progress;  from 
the  "  arid  and  thankless  ground  "  of  Spain,  with  its 
seven  societies ;  from  Holland,  with  no  less  than  785 
Associations  and  16,000  members ;  from  India,  where 
the  work  was  still  in  its  initial  stages,  but  full  of 
vigour  and  promise ;  from  Norway,  Sweden,  and 
Denmark,  where  the  progress  during  the  last  years 
had  been  most  startling,  the  work  enjoying  the  prac- 
tical support  of  the  highest  in  the  land;  from  Ger- 
many with  its  65,000  members,  and  France  which  had 
nearly  doubled  its  membership  in  four  years ;  from 


280  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Australia  and  New  Zealand,  where  the  Association 
had  been  adapted  to  the  special  needs  of  new  countries 
with  remarkable  success ;  from  China,  Ceylon,  Syria, 
Persia,  the  Caucasus,  Asia  Minor  and  Kurdistan, 
from  Turkey,  Greece,  Armenia,  Argentina,  Uruguay, 
Brazil,  Hayti,  Hawaii,  and  Madagascar ;  from  Italy, 
the  youngest  Association,  where,  indeed,  its  continu- 
ance and,  indeed,  vigorous  growth,  was  "  almost  a 
miracle  " ;  from  Japan,  notable  for  its  College  Asso- 
ciations ;  from  Russia  and  Finland,  from  the  two 
large  unions  of  French  and  German  Switzerland, 
from  Bulgaria  and  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean, 
and  from  Africa,  the  encouraging  records  of  increas- 
ing prosperity  were  received.  Undoubtedly  the  most 
remarkable  of  all  reports  was  that  delivered  from  the 
United  States  and  Canada.  The  speaker,  in  con- 
cluding a  review  of  the  work,  said :  "  Speaking  to 
you,  Sir  George,  as  the  representative  of  the  vast 
army  of  Christian  young  men  in  the  United  States 
and  in  Canada,  who  will  probably  never  have  the 
privilege,  as  we  have,  of  looking  upon  your  honoured 
face  and  of  shaking  you  by  the  hand  as  I  have,  on 
their  behalf  and  in  their  name  I  want  to  assure  you 
of  their  heartiest  love,  and  I  want  to  say  to  you  from 
them  how  your  life  shines  in  their  hearts." 

The  Jubilee  statement  of  the  English  Unions  took 
the  form  of  a  survey  of  the  history  of  the  work  from 
its  earliest  days  and  included  an  admirable  statis- 
tical summary  of  its  growth  during  the  last  ten 


II 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          281 

years,  from  316  to  893  Associations  and  from 
46,000  to  87,500  members. 

^Many  Conferences  are  remarkable  chiefly  for  the 
sparsity  of  the  attendance  at  the  meetings,  but  this 
Jubilee  celebration  was  crowded  at  every  gathering 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  every  day  there  were  three 
sessions,  each  of  three  hours'  duration.  The  scene 
at  Exeter  Hall  was,  indeed,  amazing.  Every  inch 
of  the  large  hall  was  packed  with  representatives; 
the  corridors  and  ante-rooms  were  full  of  a  polyglot 
throng,  speaking  almost  every  known  civilised  lan- 
guage, and  reminding  a  casual  passer-by  of  a  great 
Continental  railway  station  at  the  height  of  the  tour- 
ist season.  The  evening  session  of  Saturday  was 
devoted  to  a  review  of  the  missionary  work  of  the 
Association,  a  work  to  which,  perhaps,  too  small  a 
share  of  attention  has  hitherto  been  devoted.  It  is 
not,  indeed,  generally  recognised  by  the  outside  pub- 
lic, that  what  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  mis- 
sionary development  of  recent  years  is  entirely  due 
to  the  initiative  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, which  in  America  has  carried  on  its  great 
missionary  campaign  under  the  general  title  of  the 
Student  Volunteer  Movement.  This  movement,  with 
its  ringing  watch-cry,  "  The  evangelisation  of  the 
world  in  this  generation,"  is  pronounced  by  many 
of  the  sanest  of  critics  to  be  the  most  wonderful  since 
Pentecost.  It  was  conceived  and  developed  into  its 
splendid  proportions  by  the  American  College  Young 


282  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Men's  Christian  Association.  Unfortunately,  as 
some  think,  its  organisation  has  no  official  connection 
with  the  Association  in  Great  Britain. 

On  Sunday  more  than  three  hundred  special  ser- 
mons were  preached  in  the  Metropolitan  area,  while 
in  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Spurgeon,  and  in  the  City  Temple  Dr.  Joseph  Parker 
addressed  the  delegates.  Every  moment  was  crowded 
with  work.  On  that  same  afternoon  the  Rev.  F.  B. 
Meyer  addressed  a  large  meeting  in  Exeter  Hall, 
a  French  meeting  was  conducted  by  Professor  Barde, 
a  Swedish  gathering  took  place  in  the  City  Temple, 
and  the  German  delegates  held  a  large  open-air  meet- 
ing in  Regent's  Park.  The  evening  of  the  following 
day  witnessed  a  brilliant  function  at  the  Guildhall, 
some  three  thousand  five  hundred  persons  accepting 
the  invitation  of  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Corporation 
to  a  reception  and  conversazione,  for  which  entertain- 
ment the  City  Council  had  voted  a  thousand  pounds. 
Seldom  has  the  centre  of  the  City's  hospitality  wit- 
nessed a  more  remarkable  gathering.  The  amaze- 
ment of  the  long  line  of  foreign  delegates  as  they 
watched  the  ancient  civic  ceremonies  was  delightful 
to  behold.  The  reception  was  preceded  by  the  pres- 
entation of  the  Freedom  of  the  City  of  London  to 
Sir  George  Williams.  The  Common  Council  "  holden 
in  the  Chamber  of  the  Guildhall  of  the  City  of  London 
on  Thursday,  the  17th  day  of  May,  1894,"  unani- 
mously resolved  that  the  Freedom  of  the  City  "  in 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH 

a  suitable  box "  be  presented  to  George  Williams, 
Esquire,  "  in  testimony  of  the  appreciation  by  this 
Court  of  his  life-long  services  in  the  cause  of  philan- 
thropy and  his  special  efforts  for  the  welfare  of  the 
young  men  of  this  City."  After  making  the  usual 
declaration  of  allegiance  to  the  Queen  and  the  City 
and  listening  to  the  recital  of  the  quaint  old  formula 
to  the  effect  that  he  was  "  of  good  name  and  fame, 
and  did  not  desire  to  defraud  the  Queen  or  the  City," 
and  that  "  he  would  pay  his  scot  and  bear  his  lot," 
Sir  George  was  welcomed  by  the  Chamberlain,  who, 
in  making  the  presentation,  said:  "The  good  you 
have  been  the  means  of  effecting  in  the  course  of  your 
long  career,  it  is  difficult  to  overestimate.  I  refer 
to  the  thirty-three  societies  such  as  the  Band  of  Hope 
Unions,  the  Sunday  School  Union,  and  others  with 
which  you  are  connected  and  to  which  you  have 
devoted  your  life.  The  Christian  principles  of  forti- 
tude, true  temperance,  chastity,  and  obedience  incul- 
cated by  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  have 
had  a  far-reaching  influence  upon  society  at  large, 
and  been  productive  of  many  blessings.  The  Cor- 
poration wish  to  do  themselves  the  honour  of  adding 
your  name  to  London's  roll  of  fame,  which,  while  it 
is  crowded  with  kings,  warriors,  statesmen,  and 
nobles,  bears  also  such  honoured  names  as  your  dis- 
tinguished friend  and  fellow-worker,  Anthony, 
seventh  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  David  Livingstone, 
George  Peabody,  and  Angela  Burdett-Coutts.  Thus 


284  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  Corporation  delights  to  honour  a  citizen  whose 
life  work  has  been  devoted  to  neither  national  nor 
political  strife,  but  to  the  quiet  spreading  of  those 
Christian  and  peaceful  principles,  that  duty  towards 
God  and  our  neighbour  which,  after  all,  are  the 
foundation  of  national  and  family  prosperity,  and 
which  alone  can  bring  a  man  peace  at  the  last." 

The  casket  which  enclosed  the  scroll  containing 
the  Freedom  of  the  City  was  of  magnificent  construc- 
tion, and  in  after  years  occupied  the  place  of  honour 
in  Sir  George  Williams's  home  surrounded  by  many 
trowels  and  golden  keys,  the  memorials  of  his  gen- 
erosity. This  public  recognition  from  the  City  of 
which  he  was  always  so  proud,  touched  Sir  George 
as  much  as  any  of  the  tributes  paid  him,  coming  as 
it  did  from  men  who  were  for  the  most  part  not 
officially  connected  with  any  particular  religious  in- 
stitution. In  his  reply  to  the  Corporation  Sir  George 
Williams  spoke  of  his  work  as  a  glorious  service, 
wherein  he  had  experienced  the  happiest  moments  of 
his  life,  spoke  of  the  distinguished  honour  conferred 
upon  him  as  signifying  the  sympathy  of  the  City 
and  its  approval  of  the  glorious  cause  in  which 
God  had  enabled  him  and  thousands  of  others  to 
engage.  There  was  a  fine  dignity  in  his  closing 
words :  "  I  accept  your  generous  gifts  so  unani- 
mously bestowed  with  feelings  of  gratification.  It 
is  an  honour  to  which  I  never  aspired,  and  which 
I  never  anticipated;  nevertheless,  as  long  as  God 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH  285 

may  be  pleased  to  spare  my  life,  I  trust  I  may 
ever  uphold  the  rights  and  dignity  of  this  City,  and 
ever  prove  worthy  of  this  high  mark  of  your  con- 
fidence and  approbation/"' 

In  point  of  magnitude  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able gatherings  of  the  Conference  was  the  public 
thanksgiving  service  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  held 
on  the  evening  of  June  5th,  when,  to  a  congregation 
which  filled  every  corner  of  the  vast  building,  the 
Bishop  of  Ripon  delivered  one  of  his  most  brilliant 
orations.  It  was,  however,  on  Jubilee  Day,  Wednes- 
day, June  6th,  that  the  most  touching  of  the  personal 
tributes  to  Sir  George  Williams  were  delivered,  first 
of  all  in  speeches  by  the  Hon.  John  Wanamaker,  of 
Philadelphia,  by  Canon  McCormick,  by  Dr.  Monro 
Gibson,  and  by  Dr.  Cuyler,  the  veteran  American 
divine,  and  then  by  an  endless  stream  of  deputations 
and  representatives  from  all  kinds  and  conditions  of 
religious  organisations.  The  whole  of  the  afternoon 
was  given  up  to  the  reading  of  telegrams  and  mes- 
sages from  all  parts  of  the  world,  from  America, 
Canada,  South  Africa,  and  India,  "  salutations  and 
good  wishes  "  from  the  sons  of  the  Alps,  loving  greet- 
ings from  Stockholm  and  Hamburg,  good  wishes  for 
a  joyous  Jubilee  from  Berlin,  Milan,  Neuchatel, 
China,  Antwerp,  and  from  city  after  city  in  the 
United  Kingdom.  Then  followed  the  deputations 
from  the  English,  Scottish,  and  Irish  Associations, 
Australian  and  American  deputations,  French,  Ger- 


286  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

man,  Danish,  and  Japanese  deputations,  most  of 
them  carrying  illuminated  albums  and  gifts  for 
Sir  George  and  in  each  case  reading  addresses  of 
congratulation. 

When  all  these  had  been  received,  it  was  stated  that 
there  were  still  nineteen  societies  wishing  to  express 
their  gratitude  and  to  address  their  greetings  to 
Sir  George  Williams.  These  included  the  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association,  the  Society  of  Chris- 
tian Endeavour,  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  the  Religious 
Tract  Society,  the  London  City  Mission,  the  China 
Inland  Mission,  the  Commercial  Travellers'  Chris- 
tian Association,  the  Church  of  England  Young 
Men's  Society,  the  Sunday  School  Union,  the  Ragged 
School  Union,  the  United  Kingdom  Band  of  Hope 
and  the  National  Temperance  Union,  the  Zenana 
Bible  and  Medical  Union,  the  Glasgow  United  Evan- 
gelical Association,  and  many  others.  Throughout 
the  long  afternoon  Sir  George  Williams  stood  to 
receive  these  addresses.  Other  meetings  during  this 
wonderful  week  made  more  dramatic  appeal  to  the 
emotion,  but  this  was  without  doubt  the  most  remark- 
able of  all  the  tributes  paid  to  the  man  himself,  nearly 
every  important  and  philanthropic  religious  organ- 
isation in  his  own  country  and  all  the  Associations 
throughout  the  world  joining  in  congratulation. 
Such  homage  had  never  before  been  paid  to  a  humble 
worker  for  Christ,  and  it  was  obvious  that,  as  depu- 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          287 

tation  after  deputation  filed  past  him,  he  was  much 
moved  by  such  a  display  of  affection  and  esteem. 
In  a  few  simple  words  he  thanked  them  all,  finding 
no  way  fully  to  "  express  the  gratitude  of  my  heart 
for  all  this  love." 

In  the  evening  of  Jubilee  Day  a  great  demonstra- 
tion was  made  at  the  Albert  Hall.  The  vast  building 
was  packed  from  the  floor  to  the  topmost  gallery. 
The  culminating  scene  of  the  evening,  when  Lord 
Kinnaird  presented  a  marble  bust  to  Sir  George  Wil- 
liams, in  the  name  of  those  who  had  worked  with  him 
during  the  past  fifty  years  and  of  all  the  five  thou- 
sand Associations  throughout  the  world,  was  pre- 
ceded by  what  one  of  the  speakers  declared  was  a 
presentation  in  miniature  of  the  work  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. Some,  it  is  true,  complained  of  the  pro- 
gramme of  the  Albert  Hall  meeting  as  a  strange 
mixture  of  prayer,  gymnastics,  song-singing,  and 
music,  but,  as  Dr.  Monro  Gibson  said,  it  was  time 
that  "  the  ungodly  divorce  "  of  the  sacred  from  the 
secular  was  abolished,  time  that  every  one  should 
recognise  that  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion had  a  threefold  work  to  do  —  that  those  who 
guided  and  controlled  its  destinies  realised  that  young 
men  had  bodies  which  ought  to  be  in  the  most  perfect 
state  of  training  and  efficiency  for  work  for  their 
God  and  their  country ;  that  they  had  minds  which 
wanted  improving  and  exercising ;  that,  above  all, 
they  had  souls  which  needed  saving. 


288  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

When  Sir  George  Williams  rose  to  reply,  he  was 
greeted  with  an  enthusiastic  burst  of  cheering  which 
continued  for  many  minutes.  The  scene  was  most 
impressive,  the  whole,  densely  crowded,  mass  standing 
and  waving  handkerchiefs,  ending  their  demonstra- 
tion with  three  ringing  cheers  for  Sir  George  and 
three  for  Lady  Williams. 

His  speech  still  lives  in  the  recollection  of  thou- 
sands. It  was  the  man  himself,  simple,  modest,  un- 
affected, and  full  of  fire  and  the  happiness  of  youth. 
There  are  many  in  distant  lands  who,  when  his  name 
is  spoken,  picture  him  —  "  the  little  great  man  " 
as  he  stood  in  the  centre  of  that  vast  throng,  gathered 
to  do  him  honour,  and  spoke  of  his  gratitude  and  of 
his  abiding  faith  in  the  work. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  Sir  George,  "  what  I  have 
done  to  deserve  all  this.  When  we  commenced  our 
Association,  we  never  dreamt  of  anything  like  this. 
Just  a  few  of  us  met  in  a  small  room,  and  then  we 
took  courage  and  we  went  as  far  as  2s.  6d.  a  week, 
and  now  it  has  grown  into  all  this !  Why,  we  could 
not  have  pictured  such  a  thing,  we  could  not  have 
imagined  such  a  thing.  But  the  Lord  has  done  it 
all  from  beginning  to  end.  But  why  you  should  love 
me  in  this  way  I  cannot  understand.  It  is  a  total 
mystery  to  me.  .  .  .  With  all  these  honours  I  seem 
to  feel  a  young  man  yet,  though  I  am  a  little  advanced 
in  years,  and  I  hope  I  may  be  spared  to  do  some 
good  work  still  among  young  men. 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          289 

"  Now,  beloved  friends,  we  have  had  these  large 
gatherings,  we  have  had  this  Conference,  which  you 
have  all  so  much  enjoyed  —  for  surely  the  Lord 
Himself  has  been  with  us.  What  is  it  all  for?  What 
does  it  mean?  It  must  mean  that  there  is  a  great 
future  before  this  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion. It  must  mean  that  we  are  about  to  make  a 
great  advance  forward.  It  must  mean  that  we  are 
about  to  occupy  countries  which  as  yet  have  not 
been  occupied,  or  very  little  occupied.  .  .  . 

"  This  is  our  Jubilee  Day,  and  we  rejoice  with 
exceeding  gladness  before  God  for  it.  God  grant 
that  we  may  go  on  prospering,  and  that  He  will  give 
us  friends  who  will  help  us  to  win  young  men  all 
over  the  world  for  Christ.  You  know  there  is  no 
doubt  about  it  that  if  these  young  men  are  not  won 
for  Christ  they  will  do  harm.  A  young  fellow  must 
either  do  good  or  harm,  and  if  he  is  won  for  Christ, 
what  a  blessing  he  will  be  to  himself,  and  to  all  those 
round  him.  Now,  I  will  give  you  only  one  instance. 
A  young  man  at  one  of  our  meetings  said  this  to  me : 
'  I  read  all  infidel  books.  I  was  well  up  in  the  infidel 
arguments  and  doctrines.  I  loved  beyond  anything 
to  trouble  and  persecute  the  Christians.  If  a  young 
fellow  came  into  our  office,  it  was  my  delight  to  tease 
and  bother  him  all  I  could.  Well,  I  found  that  my 
infidel  opinions  did  n't  help  me  to  govern  myself,  and 
I  fell  over  a  precipice.  But  I  seemed  to  catch  hold 
of  something,  and  hung  on.  Below  was  the  awful 

19 


290  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

abyss ;  below  was  the  darkness  and  the  gloom,  but 
there  I  hung,  and  the  arm  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  reached  down,  caught  hold  of  me, 
pulled  me  up,  saved  me,  body  and  soul,  and  '  —  as 
he  said  it  tears  came  in  his  eyes  — '  but  for  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  I  should  have 
been  in  hell  to-night.  My  sins  would  have  carried 
me  there,  but  the  Association  saved  me,  and  here  I 
am  to  praise  the  grace  of  God  that  saved  me.'  Who 
is  that  young  man  to-day?  He  is  a  magistrate.  He 
is  a  large  employer.  He  is  exercising  his  beneficent 
influence  in  the  country  in  which  he  lives.  That  is 
our  work,  beloved  friends,  saving  young  men  whom 
the  devil  would  destroy.  Let  us  go  on  with  this  work 
and  God  will  bless  us." 

The  last  day  of  the  Jubilee  Conference  was  spent 
at  Windsor,  where  the  Queen  graciously  accorded 
facilities  for  viewing  the  palace  and  grounds  which 
had  never  before  been  so  freely  granted  to  any 
organisation,  even  the  Mausoleum  being  thrown  open. 
Lunch  was  provided  in  a  monster  pavilion  specially 
erected  in  the  Royal  grounds,  and  after  spending  a 
glorious  holiday  in  sight-seeing,  the  delegates  gath- 
ered together  for  a  vast  photographic  group  and  for 
the  farewell  service  held  at  King  George  IV.'s  gate, 
"  under  the  walls  of  Britain's  royal  homestead  where 
dwells,"  as  one  of  the  American  speakers  said,  "  that 
noble,  pure,  loving,  gracious  lady,  the  Queen,  who  is 
queen  of  hearts,  even  of  American  Republicans." 


THE    YEARS    OF    TRIUMPH          291 

From  first  to  last  the  Jubilee  was  a  triumph. 
That  grand  old  man  of  America,  Dr.  Cuyler,  voiced 
the  enthusiasm  of  all  who  had  participated  in  the 
celebration  when  he  said,  "  Its  memory  would  warm 
the  coldest  night  in  Scandinavia,  and  the  tale  of  its 
splendour  be  told  far  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  in  distant  New  Zealand." 

But  the  memory  which  will  last  longest  of  all  is 
of  the  frail  figure  of  an  old  gentleman  as  he  stood 
to  receive  from  ten  thousand  of  his  fellowmen  a  dem- 
onstration of  affection  and  pride  without  parallel 
in  the  history  of  religion  —  and  who  wondered  why 
everybody  was  so  kind  to  him. 


FROM  JUBILEE  TO  JUBILEE 


CHAPTER   XII 

FROM   JUBILEE   TO   JUBILEE 

THE  later  years  of  the  founder  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  were  crowded  with 
honour.  Their  history  is  written  in  the  annals  of 
three  great  and  notable  public  gatherings,  and  of 
one,  no  less  remarkable,  of  a  more  intimate  and  pri- 
vate nature  —  four  Jubilee  celebrations,  unique  in 
human  experience,  which  sum  up  triumphantly  his 
life  and  his  life's  work. 

In  1901  the  American  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  completed  fifty  years  of  work,  carried 
on  with  the  characteristic  energy  and  fertility  of 
resource  of  the  Western  continent.  Sir  George 
Williams's  connection  with  the  work  of  the  American 
Association  had  always  been  of  the  most  intimate 
and  appreciative  nature.  He  had  been  impressed, 
time  and  again,  by  its  progressive  features,  and  had 
introduced  not  a  few  of  them  to  the  notice  of  British 
and  Colonial  workers.  He  was  not,  as  was  the  case 
with  some  of  his  friends,  fearful  of  the  results  of 
the  way  in  which  these  Associations  were  adapting 
the  methods  of  the  old  world  to  the  peculiar  needs  of 


296  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

the  new.  He  held  to  his  faith  in  the  discretion  of 
those  responsible  for  their  organisation,  and  he  was 
never  so  foolish  as  to  believe,  as  did  some,  that  the 
work  throughout  the  vast  American  continent  could 
be  controlled  from  Exeter  Hall,  while  he  was  as  firmly 
persuaded  as  any  that  Exeter  Hall  was  not  to  be 
controlled,  as  some  may  have  wished,  by  the  organi- 
sation in  New  York.  To  the  end  he  showed  deep 
interest  in  all  the  details  of  the  American  work,  and 
by  correspondence  and  by  closely  questioning  his 
many  transatlantic  visitors  kept  in  constant  touch 
with  its  rapid  and,  indeed,  amazing  progress. 

His  actual  acquaintance  with  the  United  States 
dated  from  the  year  1876,  when,  in  company  with 
his  old  friend,  Mr.  M.  H.  Hodder,  he  visited  many 
of  the  Associations  of  the  United  States  and  of 
Canada  and  attended  the  Convention  held  in  Toronto 
as  the  representative  of  "  the  London  Association, 
the  parent  stock  from  whence  has  sprung  the  large 
and  important  organisations  which  now  encircle  the 
globe,  and  are  everywhere  banded  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  the  succour  and  well-being 
of  young  men."  His  journey  through  the  States 
was  in  the  nature  of  a  triumphal  progress.  Every- 
where, as  he  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the  London 
Association,  he  and  his  friends  were  received  with  the 
greatest  consideration  and  kindness.  They  attended 
the  annual  meetings  of  the  flourishing  Boston  Asso- 
ciation, and  he  wrote  home  enthusiastically  of  his 


FROM    JUBILEE    TO    JUBILEE        297 

visits  to  the  daily  Prayer  Meeting  in  New  York,  of 
the  magnificent  building  erected  in  that  city,  of  the 
Sunday  afternoon  Bible  Readings,  of  the  new  build- 
ing at  Philadelphia,  which  "  will,  when  opened,  be 
by  far  the  largest,  and  in  many  respects  the  most 
complete,  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  house 
yet  erected."  From  Philadelphia  they  went  to 
Chicago,  where  they  were  met  by  the  President  of 
the  Association,  "  who  loaded  them  with  kindnesses." 
They  travelled  West  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
"  found  even  there  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation," then  to ,  Kansas  City  and  St.  Louis  and 
on  to  Toronto.  The  whole  trip  was  always  a  memory 
of  delight  to  Sir  George  Williams.  He  revelled  in 
the  newness  of  scenery  and  outlook.  He  filled  every 
day  with  visiting  and  sight-seeing,  went  everywhere, 
talked  to  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men,  examined 
everything,  rejoicing  in  his  new  experiences  with  the 
ardour  of  a  boy.  While  in  the  West  he  encountered 
some  rough  company,  but  never  lost  his  happy  knack 
of  making  himself  at  home  in  any  surroundings  and 
of  getting  into  close  touch  with  the  most  unlikely 
people,  speaking  to  all  of  their  soul's  welfare.  At 
Toronto  he  had  a  most  inspiring  reception.  In  the 
course  of  an  address  at  one  of  the  Convention  meet- 
ings he  remarked  that  if,  as  he  supposed,  one  of  the 
greatest  pleasures  that  could  come  to  a  father  was  the 
realisation  that  his  children  agreed  well  and  worked 
happily  together,  he  surely  enjoyed  such  a  pleasure 


298  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

in  no  small  degree,  for  "  they  all  loved  one  another 
very  much  and  were  considerate  for  each  other's 
happiness,  and  ever  desirous  of  promoting  the  well- 
being  of  the  brethren."  Another  pleasure  he  felt 
as  a  parent  was  that  his  children  were  getting 
wealthy,  "  not  only  with  the  wealth  which  they  would 
be  compelled  some  day  to  leave  behind,  but  with  that 
wealth  of  a  better  and  purer  kind  which  faded  not 
away." 

It  is  no  wonder  that  he  was  impressed  with  the 
way  in  which  the  Association  he  had  founded  had 
entered  deep  into  the  heart  and  life  of  the  American 
people.  Although  Sir  George  Williams  was  not  able 
to  be  present  at  the  Jubilee  in  1901,  he  was  repre- 
sented by  his  son,  Mr.  Howard  Williams,  and  took 
a  personal  and  fatherly  pride  and  interest  in  the 
great  Congress  of  that  year.  No  apology  is  needed 
for  including  in  this  biography  some  account  of  the 
work  of  the  Association  in  America.  That  this  work 
is  due  to  the  inspiration  of  Sir  George  Williams  and 
originated  as  a  direct  outcome  of  the  parent  Asso- 
ciation is  acknowledged  by  every  American.  That 
it  has  succeeded  even  where  others  have  failed  and  is 
now  the  most  progressive  and  aggressive  of  all  the 
Associations  is  acknowledged  by  every  Englishman. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  chronicle  in  connection  with  the 
American  work  that,  in  this  instance  at  least,  Chris- 
tian young  men  have  done  something  towards  the 
elimination  of  geographical  boundaries.  For  all 


FROM    JUBILEE    TO    JUBILEE        299 

practical  purposes  the  Canadian  and  United  States 
Associations  may  be  regarded  as  one.  Simultane- 
ously they  celebrated  their  fiftieth  birthday,  and  it 
is  within  the  covers  of  one  book,  entitled  The  Jubilee 
of  Work  for  Young  Men  in  North  America,  that 
the  story  of  their  rise  and  growth  is  told.  On  June 
10,  1901,  Mr.  Howard  Williams,  in  the  name  of  his 
father,  unveiled  the  tablet  which  forms  an  interesting 
record  of  the  start  of  the  Association  in  the  North 
American  continent,  and  was  erected  to  commemorate 
the  formation  of  the  first  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  in  Montreal  on  November  £5,  1851. 

I  have  written  elsewhere  of  the  high  hopes  of 
1851.  It  was  in  this  year  that  the  seed  of  the  Asso- 
ciation found  its  way  across  the  Atlantic.  On  each 
of  the  tracts  and  pamphlets  distributed  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  London  Association  to  visitors  at  the  great 
Exhibition  of  1851,  was  an  invitation  to  the  re- 
ceiver to  examine  the  work  and  make  use  of  the 
rooms  of  the  Association.  A  gentleman  from  Mon- 
treal, who  was  spending  a  few  weeks  in  the  old 
country,  received  one  of  these  leaflets,  made  inquiries 
as  to  the  organisation  of  the  work,  and,  as  a  result 
of  his  visit,  started  a  similar  Association  in  Montreal 
on  his  return. 

In  like  manner  the  start  of  the  Association  in  the 
United  States  is  commemorated  by  a  tablet  in  the 
Central  Congregational  Church  at  Boston,  where 
the  first  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  the 


300  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

United  States  was  inaugurated  on  December  29, 
1851.  As  in  England,  so  in  America,  there  existed 
a  number  of  societies  for  the  spiritual  and  moral 
welfare  of  young  men  before  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  as  we  know  it  to-day,  was  intro- 
duced into  the  country.  In  the  land  of  its  birth  it 
cannot  be  said  that  the  Association  derived  any  par- 
ticular benefit  from  these  earlier  societies,  the  founder 
and  his  friends  being,  probably,  ignorant  of  their 
existence  when  they  made  their  plans.  But  in  the 
United  States  it  was  certainly  upon  a  foundation  of 
earlier  efforts  that  the  Association  was  built  up. 
Those  with  a  taste  for  historical  records  have  traced 
the  history  of  the  religious  work  for  young  men  in 
America  back  to  the  seventeenth  century,  when  Dr. 
Cotton  Mather  wrote  of  the  meetings  for  "  ye  ser- 
vices of  religion  "  held  at  that  time  in  Boston,  where 
about  the  same  time  there  existed  a  similar  organisa- 
tion for  "  ye  prevention  of  ye  mischief  arising  from 
vain  company  "  and  as  "  a  nursery  to  the  Church 
there."  In  later  years  the  Nasmith  Societies  were 
organised  under  the  title  of  "  The  Young  Men's 
American  Societies  "  by  David  Nasmith  himself,  when 
he  visited  America  in  1831.  They  were,  as  a  rule, 
short-lived,  and  were  merged  into  the  more  aggressive 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  the  Correspond- 
ing Secretary  of  the  Montreal  Nasmith  Society,  for 
example,  organising  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation in  that  city  in  1851  and  in  Toronto  in  1853. 


FROM    JUBILEE    TO    JUBILEE        301 

Montreal's  example  was  quickly  followed  by  Bos- 
ton. Here  the  organisation  resulted  from  an  article 
describing  the  London  Association  and  its  work, 
written  for  a  Boston  paper  by  an  American  student 
in  a  Scotch  University.  As  one  of  the  speakers  at 
the  Jubilee  celebration  in  Boston  said :  "  The  word 
was  timely  and  was  well  directed;  it  fell  upon  the 
right  ears.  An  Irishman,  a  sailor,  heard  the  news 
and  repeated  it.  It  attracted  the  attention  of  an 
American  business  man,  who  shared  his  enthusiasm, 
and  soon  the  first  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion stood  in  its  place  and  entered  upon  its  enterprise. 
Mark  the  combination  —  an  English  merchant,  an 
American  student  in  a  Scottish  University,  and  a 
man  of  Irish  descent  with  American  associates  — 
here  is  the  parentage  of  this  world-wide  work." 

As  showing  how,  in  the  fifty  years  of  its  exist- 
ence, the  American  Association  had  become  one  of  the 
most  important  factors  in  the  social  as  well  as  the 
religious  life  of  the  people,  it  is  interesting  to  note 
that  at  the  American  Jubilee  telegrams  were  read 
from  President  McKinley  assuring  those  present  of 
his  deep  interest  and  his  hope  that  the  Convention 
might  devise  means  for  even  greater  success ;  from 
King  Edward  VII.,  expressing  his  hearty  sympathy 
with  and  encouragement  to  the  Association;  from 
the  Emperor  of  Germany,  who,  in  a  characteristic 
message,  expressed  the  desire  that  the  American  Asso- 
ciation might  in  the  future  train  for  their  great 


302  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Fatherland  citizens  "  who  are  sound  in  body  and  soul, 
and  of  earnest  convictions  of  life,  standing  on  the 
only  unmovable  foundation  of  the  Name  of  Christ, 
whose  Name  is  above  every  name " ;  from  King 
Emanuel  of  Italy;  from  Prince  Hilkoff  of  Russia; 
and  from  Field-Marshal  Lord  Roberts. 

At  these  meetings  of  1901  the  whole  organisation 
of  the  Association,  as  it  then  existed  in  America,  was 
reviewed  in  the  ablest  and  most  complete  manner, 
and  while,  since  those  days,  it  has  still  further  pro- 
gressed and  is  still  progressing,  reports  of  that  Con- 
vention may  be  taken  as  fairly  representative  of  the 
work  as  it  exists  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  American  Associations  abide  firmly  by  the 
first  principles  and  the  Evangelical  test  as  drawn 
up  in  the  Paris  Declaration  of  1855.  That  funda- 
mental declaration  remains,  notwithstanding  the  ex- 
traordinary development  of  the  Association,  precisely 
in  the  position  it  held  at  the  time  of  its  adoption,  and 
is  still  universally  approved.  It  suggests,  as  one  of 
the  speakers  at  the  Convention  said,  nothing  about 
libraries  or  reading-rooms,  gymnasiums,  educational 
classes  or  lectures,  and  yet,  as  he  was  careful  to  point 
out,  every  one  of  these  things  in  proper  hands  must 
tend  to  the  promotion  of  the  objects  specified  so 
clearly  in  the  first  Declaration  of  the  Association, 
which  came  into  being  for  the  purpose  of  "  uniting 
those  young  men  who,  regarding  Jesus  Christ  as  their 
God  and  Saviour  according  to  the  Holy  Scriptures, 


FROM    JUBILEE    TO    JUBILEE        303 

desire  to  be  His  disciples  in  their  doctrine  and  in 
their  life." 

In  America,  as  in  Britain,  while  the  work  has  been 
chiefly  the  outcome  of  the  efforts  of  laymen,  it  has 
had,  from  the  beginning,  the  support  and  co-opera- 
tion of  the  Church  and  clergy.  It  has  been,  from 
the  first,  a  work  of  young  men  for  young  men ;  and 
while  it  was  confined,  in  its  early  years,  for  the  most 
part  to  commercial  men,  it  soon  proved  itself  adapted 
to  meet  the  wants  of  other  classes.  The  great  out- 
standing fact  about  the  American  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  is  its  success  in  acting  upon  the 
conviction  that  wherever  there  are  young  men,  of 
whatever  grade  or  station,  there  it  has  a  work  to  do 
which  can  be  done,  "  emphasising  always  the  essen- 
tial quality  of  manhood,  whether  in  overalls  or  a 
business  suit."  It  has  learnt  the  lesson  of  the  new 
century,  the  supreme  importance  of  specialisation, 
and  has  engaged  the  energies  of  men  of  the  first 
rank,  men  of  exceptional  ability,  education,  and  in- 
fluence, who,  under  the  leadership  of  such  master 
minds  as  Mr.  Robert  McBurney  and  Mr.  R.  C. 
Morse,  have  made  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, as  a  writer  in  the  Century  Magazme  said, 
"  an  organisation  in  the  forefront  of  the  large  powers 
of  the  century." 

In  a  comparatively  short  time  six  or  more  distinct 
organisations  have  been  established.  First  among 
these  specialised  agencies  is  one  formed  among  stu- 


304  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

dents  in  the  Universities,  resulting  in  other  impor- 
tant movements,  including  the  Inter-Collegiate  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  and  the  World's  Student 
Christian  Federation.  Another  organisation  is  com- 
posed exclusively  of  railroad  men  —  railroad  men 
working  for  Christ  and  for  railroad  men.  This  rail- 
road work  extends  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  and  across  the  continent  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
and  has  at  present  a  membership  of  70,000.  There 
is  a  separate  department  for  soldiers  and  sailors 
operating  throughout  the  United  States  and  in  Cuba, 
Porto  Rico,  and  the  Philippine  Islands,  in  most  cases 
occupying  government  property  assigned  for  its 
use ;  *  another  for  miners  and  lumbermen ;  while 
there  are  distinct  organisations  for  work  among  men 
out  of  employment,  young  men  in  need  of  rescue 
from  vicious  surroundings,  coloured  people  and  In- 
dians, young  men  in  non-Christian  lands,2  and,  most 
promising  of  all,  a  finely  equipped  special  depart- 
ment and  organisation  for  work  among  boys  of 
between  twelve  and  eighteen. 

The  work  of  the  American  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  for  the  moral  and  physical  uplifting  of 
its  members  has  been  marked  by  extraordinary  suc- 

1  Miss  Helen  Gould  recently  gave  $413,000  towards  a  naval 
building  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Brooklyn. 

2  Over  60  American  and  Canadian  secretaries  are  at  present 
located  in  the  foreign  mission  field,  organising,  administering,  and 
supervising  Association  work.     In  Japan,  India,  China,  and  South 
America  300  Associations  have  already  been  formed  through  this 
agency. 


FROM    JUBILEE    TO    JUBILEE        305 

cess ;  its  athletic  clubs,  its  gymnasiums,  its  reading 
rooms,  are  marvels  of  efficiency,  second  to  none  in 
all  that  land  of  progress ;  its  central  and  depart- 
mental organisations  are  models  of  their  kind,  its 
buildings  on  a  scale  undreamed  of  in  this  country, 
its  name  honoured  even  by  the  most  dishonourable, 
its  standing  respected  even  by  the  most  disreputable. 
But  if  that  were  all,  anything  but  a  bare  mention 
of  its  Jubilee  celebrations  would  be  out  of  place  in 
a  life  of  Sir  George  Williams. 

It  is  not  all.  In  spite  of  many  misgivings,  even 
the  most  conservative  friends  of  the  Association  in 
Britain  have  come  to  understand  that  those  who 
guide  and  control  the  affairs  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Associations  of  America  have  ever  before 
them,  in  the  words  of  Dr.  Cuyler,  "  the  one  supreme 
aim  of  enthroning  Jesus  Christ  in  the  hearts  of 
young  men."  The  purely  religious  work  of  the 
Association  has  been  developed  and  strengthened  on 
all  sides  with  most  encouraging  results.  Special  suc- 
cess has  attended  the  efforts  put  forth  for  the  pro- 
motion of  Bible  study,  first  through  Bible  classes  and 
then  by  means  of  an  admirably  equipped  Bible  Study 
department  with  systematic  courses ;  while  much  ex- 
cellent work  is  being  accomplished  in  evangelistic 
work,  by  stimulating  evangelistic  effort  in  gospel 
meetings  for  young  men,  and  by  developing  an  ardent 
missionary  spirit  among  the  members. 

The  American  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 


306  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

owes  much  to  Sir  George  Williams,  and  in  still  insist- 
ing, with  the  power  of  its  membership  of  four  hun- 
dred thousand  young  men  behind  it,  that  the  first 
principles  of  the  work,  as  he  laid  them  down  in  the 
upper  room,  are  as  essential  to-day  as  they  were 
then,  it  is  nobly  paying  its  debt  to  him  and  to  his 
memory. 

Two  years  after  the  American  Jubilee,  on  June  9, 
1903,  Sir  George  and  Lady  Williams  celebrated 
another  Jubilee,  the  golden  anniversary  of  their  wed- 
ding day,  when  presentations  were  made  by  the 
Central  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations,  and  the 
National  Council,  who  "  united  in  thanking  God  for 
granting  to  Sir  George  and  Lady  Williams  the  joy 
of  a  long  and  blessed  union,  for  the  happiness  and 
peace  which  had  rested  upon  their  home  life,  and  for 
the  many  services  they  had  rendered  to  every  depart- 
ment of  Christian  work,"  and  recorded  their  grateful 
appreciation  of  the  self-sacrificing  interest  which  for 
fifty  years  Lady  Williams  had  shown  in  the  work 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  "  of  the 
sympathy  and  encouragement  constantly  given  to  its 
beloved  founder  and  President  in  all  his  efforts  to 
further  the  interests  of  the  organisation." 

In  the  afternoon  there  was  a  large  gathering  of 
the  members  of  the  family  and  intimate  friends  at  the 
house  in  Russell  Square,  where  a  service  was  con- 
ducted by  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Griffith  Thomas,  B.D.  Sir 


FROM    JUBILEE    TO    JUBILEE        307 

George  Williams  was  then  in  his  eighty-third  year, 
but  his  vigour,  as  he  replied  to  the  many  addresses 
of  congratulation,  the  cordiality  with  which  he 
greeted  his  old  friends,  the  delight  which  he  mani- 
fested in  the  gifts  they  brought,  surprised  even  those 
who  knew  him  best.  He  looked  like  a  patriarch,  he 
spoke  as  a  young  man.  For  a  few  moments  he  was 
almost  overcome  as  he  surveyed  the  memories  of  the 
past  years,  as  he  asked  forgiveness  of  any  he  might, 
unknowingly,  have  wronged,  and  spoke  of  the  love 
which  for  half  a  century  had  brightened  his  life. 
Then  his  face  lighted  up,  and,  throwing  back  his 
shoulders,  he  faced  the  future,  saying  that  he  hoped 
he  would  be  spared  for  some  years  to  come.  The  old 
warrior  would  not  lay  by  his  armour  while  he  had 
strength  to  bear  it.  He  had  long  passed  the  allotted 
span  of  a  man's  life,  but  there  was  fight  in  him  still. 
"  So  long  as  I  have  any  strength  .left,"  he  said,  "  I 
will  fight.  There  is  still  much  to  be  done.  God  help- 
ing me,  I  will  fight  the  Evil  One  to  the  end." 

He  fought  to  the  end.  Speaking  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  Seamen's  Christian  Friend  Society,  who  con- 
gratulated him  on  the  prospect  of  escaping  from  an 
English  winter,  he  said,  "  What  I  do  not  like  is  that 
it  interferes  so  with  my  work." 

And  he  was  eighty-three  years  old. 

When,  in  April,  1905,  the  Jubilee  of  the  World's 
Alliance  of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  was 


308  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

held  in  Paris,  he  determined  to  be  present.  His 
family  and  his  friends  endeavoured  to  dissuade  him, 
fearing  the  strain  upon  his  little  store  of  strength, 
but  to  all  he  replied  simply,  "  God  willing,I^^nean 
to  be  thftge  " ;  and  although  he  was  not  allowed  to 
take  part  in  the  general  meetings  of  the  Conference, 
he  journeyed  specially  from  the  South  of  France  to 
give  a  reception  to  all  the  delegates  at  the  Hotel 
Continental. 

This,  the  close  of  his  fourth  Jubilee  celebration, 
was  the  most  moving  scene  in  all  his  life.  As,  very 
slowly,  supported  on  either  side  by  his  old  friend 
Mr.  Hodder  and  by  his  son  Howard,  he  walked  along 
the  aisle,  which  had  been  left  open  for  him  by  the 
thousand  delegates  of  more  than  twenty-five  different 
nationalities,  to  a  dai's  at  the  end  of  the  reception 
hall,  a  great  wave  of  emotion  passed  over  the  gather- 
ing. Men  were  beside  themselves  —  they  seemed 
unable  adequately  to  voice  their  devotion  and  affec- 
tion. They  crowded  towards  him,  stretching  out 
hands  of  welcome,  while  cheer  after  cheer  broke  forth, 
until  the  voices  were  spent  and  there  was  a  deep 
silence.  It  was  a  hero's  reception. 

"  As  a  demonstration  of  personal  feeling  and 
affection,"  wrote  an  American  delegate,  "  I  have 
only  once  seen  its  equal,  and  that  was  the  greeting 
accorded  to  Emerson  as  he  passed  out  of  the  church 
at  Harvard  at  the  close  of  Longfellow's  funeral." 

He  was  very  ill  —  he  was  on  the  border  line  of 


FROM    JUBILEE    TO    JUBILEE        309 

Eternity  —  so  feeble  that  those  who  accompanied  him 
feared  lest,  at  any  moment,  he  might  suddenly  let 
slip  his  hold  on  life. 

He  had,  with  infinite  pains,  written  out  his  last 
message  to  the  Association.  He  knew  his  hour  had 
come,  but  summoning  up  his  remaining  strength  into 
a  last  mighty  effort,  he  determined  to  bear  a  last 
testimony,  to  sound  once  more  his  splendid  battle  cry. 
With  his  last  breath  he  would  trumpet  forth  his 
challenge  to  the  foe,  his  cheer  to  his  comrades. 

As  he  moved  painfully  through  the  swaying  crowd 
of  friends,  his  son  asked  him  whether  he  remembered 
what  he  was  going  to  say,  reminded  him  that  he  had 
his  speech  written  out,  and  that  the  paper  was  in  his 
breast  pocket. 

"  It  is  all  gone  from  me,"  he  replied  sadly,  "  all 
gone.  I  cannot  think  .of  a  word." 

And  then,  as  he  stood  on  the  platform  and  looked 
upon  the  representatives  of  the  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands to  whom  he  had  been  as  a  father  in  Christ, 
the  old  fire,  the  old  radiance,  came  upon  him.  A 
touch  of  colour  burned  on  each  worn  cheek,  and, 
drawing  himself  erect,  with  his  massive  head  thrown 
back  and  his  arm  upraised,  his  voice  rang  out  clear 
and  strong.  For  a  few  moments  he  had  flung  from 
him  the  heavy  burdens  of  Time.  Once  more  he  was 
a  young  man.  Speaking  with  an  impressiveness 
which  will  never  be  forgotten,  without  glancing  at 
his  notes,  or  halting  for  a  syllable,  he  uttered 


310  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

those    words    which    will    be    passed    down    through 
generations :  — 

"  Young  men  of  France,  I  wish  to  say  that,  if 
you  would  have  a  happy,  useful,  and  profitable  life, 
give  your  hearts  to  God  while  you  are  young.     My 
last    legacy  —  and    it    is    a    precious    one  —  is    the 
Young  Men's   Christian  Association.     I  leave  it  to        / 
you,  beloved  young  men  of  many  countries,  to  carry 
on  and  extend.     I  hope  you  will  be  as  happy  in  the 
work  as  I  have  been,  and  more  successful;    for  this    •/ 
will  mean  blessedness  to  your  own  souls  and  to  the/ 
souls  of  multitudes  of  others." 

Then,  as  quickly  as  it  had  come,  the  light  died 
out  from  his  face.  His  friends  almost  carried  him 
to  his  room,  where  he  lay  as  one  dead. 


REST 


CHAPTER   XIII 

REST 

THE  touching  and  pathetic  farewell  meeting  at 
the  Paris  Convention  was  a  fitting  close  to  the 
long  public  career  of  Sir  George  Williams.  His 
speech  to  the  delegates  was,  indeed,  his  last  will  and 
testament.  A  few  months  later  he  took  the  chair  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  in  Exeter  Hall,  but  he  was  distressingly 
feeble,  and  the  cough  from  which  he  had  suffered  for 
years  completely  drowned  his  voice.  As  he  stood  on 
that  platform  which  had  witnessed  so  many  wonder- 
ful scenes  in  his  life,  and  endeavoured  to  address  the 
meeting,  the  whole  gathering  rose  to  its  feet,  and 
cheer  after  cheer  greeted  him.  But  the  effort  was 
beyond  his  powers,  and  he  was  compelled  to  have  the 
speech  read  for  him  —  this  last  public  utterance,  so 
full  of  encouragement  and  undimmed  enthusiasm,  of 
overflowing  thankfulness  and  praise. 

"  My  word  to  you  to-night,"  he  had  written, 
"  would  be  '  Go  Forward.'  Expect  great  things 
from  God.  Next  to  the  peace  and  joy  which  have 
come  to  me  through  my  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 


314  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Christ,  my  greatest  happiness  has  been  found  in  the 
work  of  the  Association.  I  would,  therefore,  urge 
upon  all  young  men  to  give  themselves,  body,  soul, 
and  spirit,  to  the  Saviour  who  loved  them  and  died 
for  them,  and  to  spend  their  lives  in  seeking  to  extend 
His  kingdom.  Thus  shall  come  to  them  satisfaction 
and  peace  in  this  world  and  eternal  glory  in  the  life 
to  come." 

It  was  no  surprise  to  his  friends  to  learn  that  the 
doctors  did  not  think  it  wise  to  allow  him  to  attempt 
his  usual  winter  trip  to  the  South  of  France,  and  had 
suggested  Torquay  as  a  substitute. 

His  brain  was  not  dulled,  and  at  times  there  were 
sparkles  of  the  old  vivacity  and  alertness,  but  the 
little  store  of  vitality  soon  flickered  out.  To  his 
friend,  Mr.  Walter  Hitchcock,  who  congratulated  him 
on  his  eighty-fourth  birthday  with  the  words,  "  Oh, 
king,  live  for  ever !  "  Sir  George  replied :  "  I  fancy 
I  have  heard  that  before.  That 's  what  they  say 
when  they  come  to  ask  me  for  a  subscription."  An 
American  friend,  who  spent  some  time  with  him  in 
his  London  office  after  his  return  from  the  Paris 
Conference,  records  how  Sir  George  Williams  ex- 
claimed, "  j)h,  you  ynnng...Tflqi  of  America,  you  men 
of  America,  how  -greatly- -our.  Lord  lias  used  you  in 
establishing  the  work  there !  "  He  then  asked  many 
questions  about  their  buildings  and  membership,  and 
was  particularly  interested  in  the  recent  developments 
in  Bible  study.  Before  parting  he  suggested  that 


REST  $15 

they  might  join  in  prayer  together.  "  He  led,  and, 
as  I  recall  it,  I  am  still  convinced  that  it  was  the 
greatest  prayer  that  I  ever  heard.  Feeble  as  he 
was,  his  voice  low  and  trembling,  he  talked  with  God. 
He  thanked  Him  for  the  great  work  accomplished 
throughout  the  world  by  the  faithful  men  who  were 
carrying  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  He  prayed 
most  earnestly  for  the  men  of  America ;  thanked 
God  for  their  vision  and  consecration.  He  prayed 
for  the  young  men  of  Russia  and  Japan ;  and  ear- 
nestly pleaded  that  there  might  be  peace  on  earth  and 
good  will  to  all  men. 

"  After  we  rose  from  our  knees,  I  asked  him  if 
he  had  a  message  for  our  young  men  in  America, 
and,  after  a  brief  silence,  he  said,  '  Yes ;  tell  the 
men  of  America  to  seek  first  the  Kingdom  of  God 
and  His  righteousness  and  not  to  think  too  much  of 
the  things  that  are  temporal,  for  the  true  riches  are 
only  to  be  found  in  Christ  Jesus,'  He  then  said :  '  My 
brother,  we  shall  never  meet  on  earth  again.  I  am 
just  waiting,  waiting  for  His  call.'  Raising  both 
his  hands,  as  in  benediction,  he  said,  '  May  God 
be  with  you,  and  make  you  and  all  your  faithful 
workers  very  useful  in  His  hands,  to  the  salvation  of 
precious  souls.' 

"  As  I  looked  back  and  saw  him  sitting  before  the 
open  fire,  with  bowed  head  and  hands  clasped,  I 
realised  that  when  we  should  meet  again  it  would  be 
in  the  presence  of  our  King." 


316  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

Among  the  last  Americans  to  visit  him  was  Mr. 
James  Stokes.  "  As  I  told  him,"  he  writes,  "  of  the 
interest  evinced  by  the  King  of  Italy  and  the  Emperor 
of  Germany  in  the  enlargement  of  the  Association's 
service  to  the  army,  he  said  with  deepest  fervency, 
4 1  thank  God ! '  When  the  progress  of  the  Associa- 
tion in  St.  Petersburg,  with  its  enrolment  of  one 
thousand  members,  was  made  known  to  him,  he  ex- 
claimed again,  '  I  thank  God ! '  and  again  said,  as  I 
told  him  of  the  great  progress  of  the  Bible  classes, 
'  I  thank  God  for  the  young  men  of  Russia ! '  " 

When  one  of  the  earliest  members  and  strongest 
supporters  of  the  Association,  Mr.  Samuel  Thomp- 
son, met  him  some  little  time  before  he  left  for  Tor- 
quay, Sir  George  rallied  him  on  his  absence  from 
recent  meetings  of  the  Association.  Mr.  Thompson 
explained  that  the  doctors  had  told  him  to  be  careful, 
and  that  he  was  not  to  be  out  much  at  night.  "  Well, 
well,"  said  Sir  George,  "  that 's  what  they  say  to  me. 
But  I  '11  tell  you  the  best  thing  to  do  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. I  '11  let  you  into  my  secret  "  —  and  he 
liaid  an  affectionate  hand  on  his  friend's  shoulder  — 
"  change  your  doctor,  my  dear  friend,  change  your 
doctor!" 

Mr.  John  R.  Mott,  who  also  saw  him  in  London 
after  the  Paris  Conference,  tells  how  he  was  struck 
with  his  inability  to  attend  closely  to  any  subject  of 
conversation,  but  how  the  master-thought  and  pas- 
sion of  his  life  still  dominated  his  tired  brain,  "  Are 


REST  317 

you,"  he  exclaimed,  suddenly  breaking  in  upon  the 
conversation,  "  are  you  ever  thrown  into  c^nt^/cjLwjth, 
a  man  without  speaking  to  him  about  Jesus  Christ?" 

The  Hon.  John  Wanamaker  took  his  last  mes- 
sage to  the  young  men  of  America  — "  Watch 
the  adversary,  love  one  another,  keep  time,  fight  on, 
win  the  battle.  God  bless  my  dear  brethren." 

As  long  as  he  remained  in  London  he  attended 
every  important  Committee  meeting  of  the  Associa- 
tion, but  it  was  noticed  that  he  found  great  difficulty 
in  concentrating  attention,  and  that  he  seemed  weary 
almost  to  death.  Every  Sunday  afternoon  you  might 
have  met  him  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Russell  Square, 
his  hands  full  of  tracts  which  he  distributed  with  a 
kindly  word  to  the  passers-by,  stopping  now  and 
again  to  speak  to  some  cabmen  on  the  rank  or  to 
address  a  word  of  Gospel  invitation  to  a  street 
loafer. 

One  likes  to  remember  how  —  old  and  feeble  as 
he  was  —  he  remained  to  the  last  one  of  the  most 
progressive  of  all  the  members  of  the  Association. 
On  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  South  Africa  the 
Committee  met  to  consider  a  proposal  to  send  out 
workers  for  evangelistic  services  among  the  troops, 
and  it  was  suggested  that  large  tents  should  be  fitted 
up  as  reading,  writing,  and  recreation  centres  for 
the  use  of  the  men  when  in  camp.  The  suggestion 
met  with  considerable  opposition,  and  it  was  only 
owing  to  the  exercise  of  his  remarkable  influence  that 


318  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

it  was  determined  to  make  the  experiment.  So  great 
was  the  success  that  attended  this  new  venture  that 
a  large  number  of  these  tents  were  used  throughout 
the  campaign,  and  thus  inaugurated  a  work  which 
has  since  been  introduced  into  all  Volunteer  encamp- 
ments, where  it  has  been  the  means  of  doing  an  in- 
calculable amount  of  good. 

He  strongly  disliked  the  special  care  exercised  on 
his  behalf  by  his  friends,  and  he  was  known  to  accept 
invitations  to  preside  at  meetings  on  the  definite 
understanding  that  his  family  should  not  be  in- 
formed, lest  they  should  endeavour  to  dissuade  him. 
There  is  one  now  living  who  remembers  well  the  flash 
of  real  annoyance  which  came  over  the  old  gentle- 
man's face  when  he  discovered  that  the  policeman  at 
the  crowded  crossing  at  Ludgate  Circus  had  been 
instructed  to  watch  for  him  every  day  and  guide  him 
safely  through  the  traffic.  It  was  only  on  the  dis- 
tinct understanding  that  his  son  needed  it  for  his 
own  personal  use  that  he  allowed  a  comfortable  arm- 
chair to  be  introduced  into  his  private  sitting-room 
in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard.  In  countless  ways  he  was 
watched  over  and  guarded  by  those  who  loved  him. 
These  attentions  called  for  no  little  tact  and  innocent 
artifice,  for  he  was  not  fond  of  being  reminded  that 
he  had  "  climbed  the  white  summit,  the  Mont  Blanc 
of  fourscore."  To  the  end  he  loved  life  and  living 
with  an  intensity  which  defied  Death  for  many  years. 

A  few  days  before  he  left  for  Torquay  he  walked 


REST  319 

slowly  through  the  warehouse,  his  eyes  lighting  up 
as  he  recognised,  here  and  there,  the  old,  familiar 
faces.  His  memory  was  wonderful,  especially  with 
regard  to  matters  affecting  his  great  circle  of  rela- 
tions, and  on  that  last  day  he  inquired  kindly  after 
one  of  his  great-nieces  who  had  been  ill,  and  after 
another  who  was  shortly  to  be  married. 

On  meeting  an  old  customer  from  the  country  he 
took  his  hand,  saying  slowly  and  very  impressively, 
"  We  must  be  faithful  to,  tte  endL"  It  was  his  last 
message  to  the  Uity  he  had  loved  so  long  and  worked 
for  so  faithfully. 

The  slight,  bent  figure  walked  down  Paternoster 
Row.  Men  turned  as  they  saw  the  fine,  strong,  white 
face,  its  deep,  thoughtful  lines  more  marked  than 
ever,  the  eyes  sunk  under  the  heavy,  white  brows. 
And  thus  he  passed  out  of  sight  of  the  business  he 
had  built  and  the  scene  of  his  labours  for  God  and 
for  man  —  and  turned  Amen  Corner. 

When  he  was  asked  about  this  time  what  was  his 
chief  thought  in  looking  back  on  his  long  life,  he 
answered,  "  Gratitujle^jjjyiyi^^ 

goodness  in  havipp  used  me^  the  least  of  His  ser- 
vants,  in  the  promotion  of  His  Kingdom  amongst 
young  men."  ,„  Meeting  Mr.  J.  H.  Putterill,  the  Gen- 
eral Secretary  of  the  Association,  on  that  same  day, 
he  asked  eagerly  and  earnestly,  "  There  is  no  abate- 
ment, is  there?  "  "  Abatement?  "  said  the  Secretary. 
"  Yes,  there  is  no  abatement  of  zeal  in  the  work,  is 


320  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

there?  "  Mr.  Putterill  replied,  "  Oh  no,  we  certainly 
have  had  the  best  year  in  the  work  we  have  ever 
experienced."  Sir  George  exclaimed,  "  Thank  God ! 
thank  God !  "  That  was  his  farewell  to  the  Associa- 
tion he  had  founded. 

A  few  weeks  later  at  Torquay  his  weakness  became 
suddenly  more  apparent,  and  it  was  clear  that  the  end 
could  not  be  far  off.  As  his  mind  wandered  he  imag- 
ined he  was  addressing  assemblies  of  young  men. 
Almost  his  last  words  were  "  Beloved  young  men !  " 

His  sons  were  summoned,  and  "in  *ffieevenmg  he 
slept,  and  woke  no  more  in  this  world.  "  He  did  but 
dream  of  heaven  and  he  was  there."  What  a  joy 
it  must  have  been  to  him  to  wake  Beyond  without 
weariness,  to  feel  eternally  young,  to  realise  the 
glorious  truth  that  "  the  oldest  angels  are  ever  the 
youngest " ! 

r  •  ^^ 

The  articles  on  Sir  George  Williams  in  the  press 
of  many  lands  formed  in  themselves  a  remarkable 
tribute  to  the  way  in  which  this  simple  English  gen- 
tleman had  conquered  the  world.  In  years  gone  by  it 
had  been  the  fashion  of  certain  newspapers  to  sneer 
at  the  narrow  pietism  which  they  were  pleased  to 
connect  with  the  Association,  but  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
know  that  perhaps  the  most  appreciative  notices  at 
the  time  of  the  death  of  its  founder  appeared  in  the 
so-called  secular  press. 

The   world   has   not   sunk   so   low  that   it   cannot 


REST 

appraise  real  goodness  of  heart,  and  the  purity  of 
George  Williams's  long  life,  the  splendour  of  his 
aims,  and  the  triumph  of  his  attainments  appealed 
to  all.  It  is  good  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  people 
raised  in  honour  of  one  whose  chief  claim  to  their 
remembrance  was  that  he  went  about  doing  good. 
A  still  more  remarkable  tribute  was  presented  on  the 
following  day  to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's 
Cathedral.  It  was  signed  by  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
by  the  Lord  Chief  Justice,  Count  Bernstorffe,  Prince 
Bernadotte  of  Sweden,  by  Peers  of  the  Realm, 
Bishops,  Deans,  Archdeacons,  and  Prebendaries  of 
the  Church  of  England,  by  the  Lord  Mayors  of 
London,  Liverpool,  Bristol,  and  Cardiff,  by  some 
twenty  Mayors  of  great  cities  throughout  the  land, 
by  Members  of  Parliament,  and  the  most  prominent 
citizens  and  men  of  business  of  the  three  kingdoms, 
and  supported  by  resolutions  from  400,000  members 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  North 
America,  20,000  members  in  Canada,  150  separate 
Associations  in  India,  and  by  representatives  of  the 
Association  in  South  Africa,  Australia,  New  Zealand, 
and  every  nation  of  importance  on  the  continent  of 
Europe.  It  begged  the  consent  of  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  to  the  interment  of  "  this  well-known  Chris- 
tian philanthropist "  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 

This  memorial  contained  a  fitting  summary  of  his 
career,  and  of  the  work  which  was5  as  it  states,  "  of 
national,  imperial,  and  world-wide  importance." 

21 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

After  relating  the  beginnings  of  the  work,  it  con- 
tinued :  "  The  last  returns  show  that  there  are  now  in 
existence  7,676  Associations  in  forty-five  nationali- 
ties, with  a  membership  of  707,667,  owning  buildings 
valued  at  £6,800,000.1  Any  attempt  to  estimate  the 
number  of  young  men  who  during  the  past  sixty-one 
years  have  benefited  by  the  work  of  the  Association 
would  be  impossible.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  several 
millions  have  been  helped  spiritually,  socially,  and 
physically  by  the  agencies  employed.  During  recent 
weeks  their  Majesties  King  Edward  VII.  and  Queen 
Alexandra  have  each  made  a  special  contribution  to 
the  funds,  four  successive  Archbishops  of  Canter- 
bury have  spoken  warmly  in  favour  of  the  move- 
ment, President  Roosevelt  and  President  McKinley 
were  active  members  of  the  Association,  the  Viceroys 
of  India  and  Governors-General  of  Canada  and  Aus- 
tralia have  testified  to  its  usefulness,  the  French 
Government  has  conferred  decorations  upon  the  leader 
of  the  Association  in  Paris,  the  Emperor  of  Germany 
has  on  several  occasions  shown  deep  interest  in  the 
movement,  and  at  a  recent  gathering  in  Berlin  Prince 
Henry  of  Germany  was  one  of  the  speakers.  The 
Czar  of  Russia  has  given  special  permission  for  the 
work  to  be  carried  on  in  St.  Petersburg,  while  his 
Highness  Prince  Bernadotte  of  Sweden  is  Chairman 

1  At  the  World's  Committee  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  held  in  Geneva  in  March,  1906,  the  latest  official  figures 
given  were  7,773  Associations,  with  722,000  members. 


REST 

of  the  National  Committee  of  the  Association.  It  is 
a  gratifying  thought  that  the  founder  of  the  Asso- 
ciation which  has  proved  so  beneficial  to  the  young 
men,  not  only  of  our  own  beloved  Empire,  but  of  the 
nations  of  the  world,  should  have  been  a  citizen  of 
London,  pursuing  a  successful  business  career  for 
upwards  of  sixty  years  in  the  near  vicinity  of  Lon- 
don's Cathedral  Church,  leaving  behind  him  a  great 
example  to  young  men  of  all  time  of  a  man  '  diligent 
in  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord.'  ' 

The  Dean  and  Chapter  honoured  themselves  and 
their  Church  in  granting  the  desired  permission. 
That  evening  the  last  resting-place  was  chosen  close 
to  the  place  of  Nelson's  burial. 

It  was  indeed  fitting  and  right  that  the  National 
Church  in  the  name  of  the  people  should  recognise 
that  not  only  with  sword  and  clash  of  arms  is  free- 
dom bought  and  victory  won.  Much  is  spoken  and 
written  of  the  righteousness  that  alone  exalteth  a 
nation,  but  it  is  all  too  seldom  that  the  nation  nation- 
ally exalts  righteousness. 

The  burial  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  was  the  right- 
ful honour  paid  to  one  of  London's  most  noble  citi- 
zens, a  man  who,  in  a  thousand  ways,  some  of  wide 
renown,  many  untold  or  known  only  to  the  few,  and, 
more  than  all  else,  by  the  personal  example  of  his 
daily  life,  preached  to  men  the  possibility  and  the 
beauty  of  an  upright  life  in  the  slippery  places  of 
modern  commerce,  and  made  straight  the  paths  for 


SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

many  feet.     It  was  but  just  that  for  such  a  man  a 
resting-place  should  be  found  among  the  heroes. 

On  the  following  Sunday  Archdeacon  Sinclair 
preached  a  special  memorial  sermon  to  a  great  con- 
gregation in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral.  The  sermon  was 
the  Church's  answer  to  the  people's  memorial.  "  If," 
said  the  preacher,  "  any  were  to  ask  why  the  authori- 
ties of  the  Cathedral  had  granted  to  so  humble  and 
unassuming  a  Christian  worker  as  Sir  George  Wil- 
liams the  rare  and  very  exceptional  honour  of  laying 
his  remains  among  those  of  great  heroes  of  sea  and 
land,  of  illustrious  churchmen,  of  eminent  painters, 
musicians,  and  wise  statesmen,  the  answer  was  that 
the  Cathedral  has  a  threefold  duty  in  its  sympathies 
and  obligations :  to  the  City,  to  the  diocese,  and  to 
the  Empire.  In  all  three  aspects  the  founder  of  that 
marvellous  organisation,  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  was  pre-eminent.  During  his  long  busi- 
ness career  he  set  an  example  to  all  City  men  of  a 
simple,  devoted  Christian  life,  of  wide  and  constant 
generosity,  and  of  unswerving  zeal  for  the  welfare 
of  those  vast  multitudes  of  young  men  whom  the 
business  of  the  City  requires."  Of  the  whole  vast 
machinery  and  the  great  system  of  the  Association 
Sir  George  Williams  was  not  merely  the  founder, 
but  to  the  end  the  inspiring  genius,  "  constantly  in 
touch  with  every  part  of  the  organisation,  giving 
away  great  sums  of  money  to  help  forward  branch 
after  branch,  working  daily  for  th'e  whole,  keenly 


REST  325 

interested  in  every  centre  of  work,  praying  fervently 
every  day  for  all. 

"  Throughout  his  life  he  was  one  of  the  humblest 
and  most  unobtrusive  of  men,  living  in  the  spirit  of 
the  New  Testament,  Gospels,  Acts,  and  Epistles. 
Believing  with  all  his  heart  and  soul  in  the  verbal 
inspiration  of  the  Bible,  he  was  never  troubled  with 
difficulties  about  criticism;  to  him  the  Bible  was  the 
Word  of  God;  to^jjiei— »elifiion  meant  cony£i»km, 
repentance,  fajib,  hojae,  charity,  prayer,  the  ^race  of 
G*>d,  communion  with  -Christ,  the  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Spirit."^ 

"^c  He  was  so  direct,  so  straight,  so  unswerving  in 
his  faith,  so  serene  in  his  courage,  so  strong  in  his 
trust,  that  he  had  a  remarkable  faculty  for  kindling 
enthusiasm.  He  had  no  care  for  his  own  ease  or 
enjoyment.  He  was  unsparing  of  time  and  money 
for  the  benefit  of  all  those  who  needed  a  helping 
hand. 

"  His  name  stands  for  the  abiding  truth  that  a 
simple,  heartfelt  faith  in  the  power  and  presence  of 
Christ  is  possible  at  any  age,  under  any  circum- 
stances, to  any  Christian  man." 

In  spite  of  the  throng  and  the  press,  the  splendid 
tribute  of  the  City  and  of  many  nations,  in  spite 
of  the  vast  concourse  of  mourners,  in  spite  of  the 
grandeur  of  the  place  of  his  rest,  it  was  the  simple 
funeral  of  a  simple  English  gentleman. 


326  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

And  that  was  fitting  and  right,  for  was  not  the 
keynote  of  his  life,  ever  purposeful  and  strenuous, 
a  rare  Christian  simplicity?  It  was  because  he  was 
to  the  last  a  business  man  among  business  men,  that 
he  has  written  his  name  on  the  heart  and  life  of  the 
world.  No  sounding  triumph,  no  sudden  victory, 
no  startling  appeal  to  a  people's  passion  or  a  coun- 
try's gratitude  gave  him  his  place  among  the  noblest 
of  the  nation's  dead.  It  was  his  life,  his  life  seen 
as  a  whole,  his  eighty-four  years  of  battle  for  things 
that  are  pure  and  holy  and  of  good  report,  that  the 
world  honoured  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  on  the  14th 
of  November,  1905. 

In  the  early  morning  of  that  day  there  gathered 
at  Exeter  Hall  the  vast  company  of  members  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations. 

Every  branch  of  the  mighty  organisation  was 
represented.  From  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom, 
from  the  Colonies  and  from  the  Continent  of  Europe, 
from  Asia  and  Africa  came  tokens  of  sympathy  and 
sorrow.  The  great  building  was  almost  covered  with 
wreaths  and  flowers.  In  addition  to  the  members  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  there  were 
representatives  from  ninety-nine  different  trade,  reli- 
gious, and  philanthropic  societies  with  which  Sir 
George  Williams  had  been  connected  in  some  official 
capacity,  from  such  different  societies  as  Dr.  Bar- 
nardo's  Homes,  the  Band  of  Hope,  the  Cabmen's 
Mission,  the  Omnibus  and  Tramcar  Text  Mission, 


REST  327 

the  Children's  Scripture  Union,  the  Church  Army, 
Missionary  Societies  of  every  denomination,  the  Com- 
mercial Travellers'  Association,  the  Total  Abstainers' 
Unions,  from  various  societies  in  connection  with  the 
drapery  trade,  from  the  Early  Closing  Association, 
from  the  French  Reformed  Church,  from  the  Irish 
Church  Missions,  one  hundred  missionaries  from  the 
London  City  Mission,  delegates  from  Temperance 
Societies,  Young  Women's  Associations,  Rescue  Works 
of  all  kinds,  Theatrical  Missions,  Missions  to  Deep 
Sea  Fishermen,  Zenana  Missions,  and  Missions  for  the 
Observance  of  the  Lord's  Day. 

There  is  a  fine  impressiveness  in  the  pomp  and 
circumstance  of  a  great  military  funeral,  in  the 
gorgeous  trappings  and  equipments  of  Death,  in  the 
throbbing  solemnity  of  Dead  Marches  played  by 
massed  bands.  There  were  none  of  these  things  as 
Sir  George  Williams  was  borne  through  the  streets 
of  the  City.  Even  more  impressive,  even  more  mov- 
ing, was  the  unspoken  tribute  of  a  busy  people  who 
stopped  for  a  few  moments  in  the  rush  of  life  to 
wait  in  silent  sympathy  for  the  passing  of  a  noble 
man.  Never  was  funeral  more  sombre,  never  was 
Death  less  terrible.  Covering  the  back  of  the  hearse 
was  a  superb  wreath  sent  by  the  staff  of  his  house  of 
business  —  a  great  heart  of  violets  with  the  motto 
"  Loved  by  all "  shining  out  in  flowers  of  white. 
As  people  turned  to  catch  a  last  glimpse  of  the  pro- 
cession they  must  have  felt  that  this  indeed  was  the 


328         .    SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

epitaph  he  himself  would  have  coveted,  and  there 
were  none  to  say  that  it  was  not  a  true  and  faithful 
summing  up  of  his  life. 

The  minute  bells  of  the  City  were  tolling,  shops 
were  shuttered  in  black,  the  roaring  traffic  of  the 
City  was  stopped.  In  the  gloom  of  the  November 
day  a  great  crowd  lined  the  streets.  As  the  hearse 
passed,  many  stood  bareheaded  in  the  rain. 

Two  thousand  six  hundred  tickets  had  been  issued 
fpr  the  service  in  the  Cathedral.  It  was  a  service 
of  men,  men  of  all  degrees  and  stations,  men  young 
and  old.  There  was  scarcely  a  glimpse  of  colour, 
save  that  provided  by  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Alder- 
men in  their  brilliant  robes.  Under  the  dome  stood 
those  who  had  served  him  in  warehouse  and  fac- 
tory. Close  by  were  representative  ministers  of  all 
churches  and  denominations.  The  grey  light,  stream- 
ing mistily  through  the  windows,  fell  upon  a  vast 
assembly  of  men  of  note,  heads  of  great  business 
enterprises,  merchant  princes,  men  high  in  public 
esteem  in  the  world  of  politics  and  commerce  who 
came  to  render  their  farewell  tribute.  But  it  was 
the  concourse  of  nameless  men,  men  of  the  rank  and 
file,  men  who  thus  expressed  in  the  only  way  possible 
their  heart's  gratitude,  which  made  the  gathering 
so  memorable. 

The  service  was  what  those  who  knew  and  loved 
him  best  could  best  have  wished.  It  was  a  service  of 
rest. 


THE  LAST  RESTING  PLACE  OF  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS  IN 
ST.  PAUL'S  CATHEDRAL 


REST  329 

He  was  very  weary,  this  warrior  who  had  fought 
so  hard,  had  toiled  so  long.  And  he  had  fallen  on 
sleep.  His  friends  could  find  no  sorrow  in  the  thought 
that  night  had  come  when  he  could  no  longer  work. 

The  music  was  itself  a  service  of  rest.  The  ex- 
quisite singing  of  the  choir,  the  majestic  Equali 
for  four  trombones,  that  noble  miserere  written  by 
Beethoven  for  All  Souls'  Day  and  played  at  his  own 
funeral,  rose  to  the  dim  heights  of  the  dome,  and 
echoed  back  like  some  sweet  and  tender  melody  from 
the  golden  city  of  rest.  The  lesson  was  read  with 
wonderful  impressiveness  by  Dean  Gregory,  himself 
two  years  older  than  Sir  George  Williams,  while  the 
actual  burial  service,  conducted  by  Archdeacon  Sin- 
clair, whose  voice  seemed  to  take  on  an  added  note 
of  power,  spoke  of  the  triumph  of  his  rest,  the  rest 
which  for  one  who  had  battled  so  long  was  victory 
indeed. 

In  the  crypt,  the  members  of  the  family  and  those 
young  old  men  who  had  been  his  friends,  had  watched 
and  worked  and  prayed  with  him  for  so  long,  said 
farewell.  A  single  wreath  was  laid  on  the  coffin,  and 
as  they  passed  out  of  the  Cathedral  their  thoughts 
went  out  in  affectionate  sympathy  to  the  lonely  lady 
at  Torquay,  who  had  throughout  the  years  whole- 
heartedly, unselfishly  encouraged  and  helped  him  in 
his  work,  their  work,  always  giving  him  freely,  un- 
grudgingly, to  the  cause,  their  cause,  Christ's  cause 
—  and  now  at  the  last  had  given  him  to  the  nation. 


330  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

He_had  UvflcLffir  J.he_people,   and  in  death  the 
people  claimed  him. 

"  Where  shall  we  lay  the  man  whom  we  deplore  ? 
Here  in  streaming  London's  central  roar. 
Let  the  sound  of  those  he  wrought  for, 
And  the  feet  of  those  he  fought  for, 
Echo  round  his  bones  for  evermore." 

He  rests  from  his  labours   and  his  works  follow 
him. 


THE   MASTER   BUILDER 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE   MASTER  BUILDER 

"  TTJLEST  are  the  departed,  who  in  the  Lord  are 

Jj  sleeping,  from  henceforth  for  evermore.  They 
rest  from  their  labours  and  their  works  follow  them." 

Those  who  heard  the  Cathedral  choir  sing  the 
beautiful  anthem  of  the  Peace  of  Death  and  the 
Victory  of  Everlasting  Life  knew  that  in  a  special 
sense  it  was  true  of  Sir  George  Williams  that  his 
works  follow  him. 

For  them  there  is  no  death,  and  in  them  he  shall 
live  for  ever. 

"  What  of  Heroism,  what  of  Eternal  Light  was 
in  this  man  and  his  life  is  with  very  great  exactness 
added  to  the  Eternities." 

He  was  the  ideal  Christian  layman  of  his  genera- 
tion, one  of  those  fine  and  forceful  characters  who 
bear  their  testimony  for  Christ  "  in  the  sphere  of 
their  daily  calling,"  whose  religious  work  is  brought 
into  the  very  heart  of  their  business  life  and  labour. 
It  was  this  that  made  him  to  the  last  the  acknowl- 
edged leader  of  thousands  in  foreign  and  distant 
lands  to  whom  he  was  personally  unknown,  but  to 


634  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

whom  he  was  always,  and  will  always  remain,  more 
than  a  name,  always  the  expression,  the  type,  of  a 
splendid  idea,  an  all-conquering  truth. 

While  he  was  ever  interested,  generous,  active  in 
promoting  the  equipment  and  administration  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  he  placed  first 
emphasis  upon  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  individual 
young  man. 

He  laboured  for  souls,  not  for  systems. 

He  Ti'fmself  gave  the  example  by  personal  inter- 
course with  young  men,  in  meeting  and  in  Bible 
Class,  and,  in  preference  to  all  other  means,  in 
private  conversation.  He,  as  was  once  said  of  him, 
domesticated  his  religion  in  the  building  devoted  to 
the  business  he  so  successfully  carried  on.  His  office 
was  really  the  headquarters  of  the  World  Brother- 
hood of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
And  in  his  office  was  the  spirit  of  the  Upper  Room 
in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard,  where  two  young  men 
came  together  to  agonise  in  prayer  for  their 
companions. 

Sir  George  Williams  lives,  and  shall  ever  live,  not 
only  as  the  father  and  founder  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  but,  in  his  personal  life  and 
faith,  as  its  representative  member.  Methods  will 
change,  and  are  changing  rapidly,  organisations 
may  differ  but  unless  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
lations  in  every  clime  succeed  in  showing  young 
men  how  they  shall  serve  and  bear  witness  to  Jesus 


THE    MASTER    BUILDER  335 

Christ  in  "  the  sphere  of  their  daily  calling,"  they 
dishonour  the  memory  of  their  founder  and  their 
work  is  vain. 

There  is  a  splendid  future  for  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association.  No  one  can  doubt  that.  It 
is  needed  to-day  even  more  than  in  1844,  and  if 
carried  forward  on  progressive  lines  it  can  meet 
to-day's  needs  more  successfully  than  it  met  those 
of  Sir  George  Williams's  generation. 

It  belongs  to  the  twentieth  century  as  it  did  to 
the  early  Victorian  era.  It  may  renew  its  youth  every 
year,  for  there  is  infinite  adaptability  in  its  pro- 
gramme. It  has  accomplished  much  during  these 
sixty  years.  And  much  still  remains  to  be  done. 

The  past  history  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  is  full  of  encouragement  for  the  future. 
And,  read  aright,  it  is  not  without  its  warnings  and 
cautions.  From  the  beginning  the  movement  has 
been  characterised  by  growth.  This  development  has 
not  been  uniform,  not  always  rapid,  but  each  year 
has  seen  advance  in  some  direction,  and  each  year  the 
men  who  have  preached  progress  in  its  counsels  have 
prevailed.  This  will  continue,  this  will  increase.  As 
the  years  pass,  some  of  the  old  methods  will  lose  their 
attraction  in  the  eyes  of  young  men,  some  of  the  old 
agencies  will  become  time-worn  and  show  signs  of 
decay.  Let  those  in  authority  face  the  unpleasant 
but  undeniable  fact  that  in  such  a  society  there  is 
unceasing  wastage,  that  from  one  cause  or  another 


336  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

men  are  always  falling  out  of  the  ranks,  that  gaps 
in  the  files  must  be  filled.  New  methods,  new  methods 
every  year,  are  as  necessary  in  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  as  in  a  house  of  business. 

But  these  changes,  changes  of  fashion  it  may  be, 
do  not  entail  any  departure  from  the  fundamental 
principles  of  the  Association.  These  stand  fast. 
They  were  never  accepted,  never  acted  upon,  more 
loyally  than  they  are  to-day. 

In  this  respect  there  will  be  no  sign  of  wavering. 
The  ideal  before  the  members  will  always  be  the 
union  of  Christian  young  men  for  service  in  the 
extension  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  among 
their  fellow  young  men. 

And  that  kingdom  is  to  be  extended  by  spiritual, 
social,  intellectual,  and  physical  agencies.  In  each 
of  these  there  is  fine  promise  of  development,  in 
numbers,  in  quality,  and  in  equipment.  It  is  safe 
to  predict  that  during  the  next  few  years  the  most 
marked  advance  will  be  noticed  in  the  social  and 
physical  sides  of  the  work.  There  is  no  gainsaying 
the  fact  that  these  have  not  kept  pace,  especially  in 
Great  Britain,  with  the  demands  of  the  age.  The 
crying  and  absolute  necessity  for  amusement  and 
recreation  is  the  result  of  a  state  of  affairs  in  the 
world  we  live  in  which  no  amount  of  argument  or 
preaching  will  alter.  The  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  will  never  lessen  by  a  hair's  breadth  the 
strain  of  our  strenuous  life.  It  may  help  men  to 


Photo 


[Elliott 
THE  LAST  PHOTOGRAPH  OF  SIR  GEORGE  WILLIAMS 


Fry 


THE    MASTER    BUILDER  367 

bear  that  strain.  It  will  never  abate  one  jot  or  one 
tittle  of  the  fierceness  of  competition,  of  the  cruelty 
of  the  conflict,  but  it  can  make  men  strong,  mentally, 
physically,  spiritually  strong,  so  that  they  may  the 
better  fight.  Among  some  there  is  a  sinister  idea 
that  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  does 
not  welcome  the  fighting  men,  the  men  in  whom  the 
zest  of  life  and  the  joy  of  the  conflict  is  strong,  that 
it  is  rather  a  hospital  for  the  halt  and  the  maimed 
than  a  place  of  rest  and  refreshing  for  the  strong 
man  who  is  weary  but  unconquered.  The  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  was  the  life-work  of  a 
successful  young  man,  a  man  who  struggled  and 
toiled  and  battled  towards  success  —  and  won.  While 
it  will  always  stretch  out  a  kindly  hand  to  the  down- 
trodden and  defeated,  it  is  not  merely  or  primarily 
a  refuge  for  failures.  In  every  possible  manner  the 
future  leaders  in  Association  work  will  preach  and 
teach  the  great  doctrines  of  competence  and  efficiency, 
will  always  insist  that  a  young  man  should  be  better 
fitted  for  business  because  he  is.  a  member  of  the 
Association. 

The  men  who  are  fighting  to  win  are  the  young 
men  who  will  be  most  welcome  in  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association.  And  these  men,  these  Chris- 
tian young  men,  restless,  active,  strenuous,  eager,  and 
undaunted,  whose  days  are  crowded  with  toil,  must 
have  recreation,  physical  and  mental.  If  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  does  not  provide  this 


338  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

on  a  satisfactory  and  attractive  scale,  they  will  go 
elsewhere,  and,  for  its  own  sake  as  well  as  theirs, 
the  Association  must  not  lose  hold  on  the  workers, 
the  young  men  who  serve  the  Lord  no  less  because 
they  are  diligent  in  business. 

There  is  still  much  to  be  desired  in  the  equipment 
of  the  Association  buildings  for  such  purposes, 
especially  in  Great  Britain.  This  is  largely  a  ques- 
tion, no  doubt,  of  financial  support.  The  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  has  in  the  past  appealed 
for  the  most  part  to  those  who  give  to  definite  reli- 
gious agencies,  give  with  amazing  generosity.  They 
are  but  few,  and  they  are  beset  from  all  sides.  The 
moral,  physical,  and  social  work  of  the  Association 
will  no  doubt  be  brought  more  to  the  front,  for 
herein  it  will  commend  itself  to  employers  who  are 
beginning  to  recognise,  and  who  will  shortly  realise 
more  strongly,  the  importance  of  providing  in  every 
community  a  counter-attraction  to  the  many  places 
of  harmful  amusement  which  are  supported  almost 
entirely  by  young  men.  It  is  a  business  man's  Asso- 
ciation. It  was  founded  by  a  plain  man  of  busi- 
ness ;  it  is  run  on  business  lines  for  business  men. 
Once  an  employer  is  persuaded  from  personal  ex- 
perience that  it  pays  to  employ  one  who  spends 
his  spare  time  at  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation there  is  every  likelihood  that  he  will  help 
forward  that  institution  in  the  most  handsome 
manner. 


THE    MASTER    BUILDER  339 

For  the  purpose  of  commending  itself  to  the  out- 
side public,  as  well  as  for  the  good  of  the  people 
generally,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  will  take  its  rightful  place  as 
one  of  the  recognised  champions  of  moral  right  and 
religious  liberty.  There  is  a  danger  that  determi- 
nation to  keep  free  from  controversy  may  make  it 
fearful.  Young  men  delight  in  social  work,  in  work 
for  the  community,  for  the  uplifting  of  the  race. 
Has  not  that  part  of  the  programme  of  a  Christian 
young  man  been  too  little  insisted  upon?  No  one 
would  advocate  the  entrance  of  such  an  Association 
upon  the  dusty  arena  of  politics,  or  that  it  should 
take  sides  in  the  battle  of  sects,  but  the  time  has 
surely  arrived  when  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation may  justly  claim  to  make  its  voice  heard  on 
behalf  of  national  purity  and  temperance,  and  give 
its  weighty  support  to  those  who  are  fighting,  under 
whatever  banner,  the  tyrannies  of  evil.  "  Many  evan- 
gelical Christians,"  said  that  prince  of  evangelical 
teachers,  Dr.  Dale  of  Birmingham,  "  have  the  poor- 
est, meanest,  narrowest  conceptions  of  moral  duty 
and  are  almost  destitute  of  moral  strength.  If  this 
defect  is  to  be  remedied,  we  Evangelicals  must  think 
more  about  Christian  Ethics."  The  time  has  come 
when  the  old  reproach  that  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  prays  and  talks  so  much  that  it 
does  nothing  should  be  wiped  away.  It  was  never 
true.  It  is  time  the  lie  was  killed. 


340  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

In  America  one  of  the  most  striking  advances  of 
the  next  few  years  will,  it  is  said,  be  in  this  direc- 
tion of  Social  work.  The  Association  refuses  to 
be  confined  to  its  own  building.  It  will  provide 
men  who  will  conduct  physical  work  in  churches, 
schools,  public  playgrounds,  and  settlements.  By 
lectures  and  printed  matter  it  will  carry  on  its 
campaign  of  right  living  among  all  classes.  It  will 
give  its  members  definite  work  to  do  in  the  physi- 
cal and  moral  education  of  the  people.  It  will 
interest  itself  as  a  society  in  measures  for  promot- 
ing good  health  and  will  co-operate  in  agencies  en- 
gaged in  such  work.  It  will  endeavour  to  minister 
to  the  recreative  needs  of  the  industrial  and  indeed 
of  all  classes.  It  will  become  an  important  factor 
in  creating  conditions  where  right  ethics  in  sport 
will  prevail. 

By  thus  attracting  into  its  membership  many 
courageous,  virile  young  men,  and  enlisting  them 
in  Christian  service,  it  will  introduce  into  the  reli- 
gious life  of  the  Association  the  splendid  elements 
of  heroism  and  altruism,  qualities  of  character 
which  always  make  for  the  attractiveness  of  Chris- 
tian service. 

Something  of  the  kind  will  surely  manifest  itself  in 
Great  Britain.  Much  interest  has  lately  been  aroused 
in  what  are  termed  Institutional  Churches,  and  while 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  occasionally,  under  strong 
leadership,  Churches  of  this  character  may  accom* 


THE    MASTER    BUILDER  341 

plish  a  successful  work,  it  is  equally  true  that  the 
Church,  as  a  whole,  will  never  successfully  maintain 
work  of  this  character.  The  difficulties  which  will  be 
encountered  by  clergymen,  ministers,  and  Church 
officers  will,  in  all  probability,  result  in  a  wider  recog- 
nition of  the  value  of  the  Association  and  its  adapta- 
bility for  this  class  of  work,  and  the  Association  will 
receive  that  moral  and  financial  support  from  the 
Churches  which  has  been  in  some  measure  lacking  in 
the  past. 

The  growth  of  the  work  in  this  direction  will  be 
accompanied  by  dangers  against  which  Association 
workers  will  need  to  be  constantly  on  their  guard. 
Social  and  recreative  work  appeals  strongly  to  young 
men,  and  having  entered  into  the  possession  of  large 
and  well-equipped  buildings,  those  responsible  for 
ther  management  will  be  tempted  to  give  undue 
prominence  to  the  departments  which  most  readily 
lend  themselves  to  popularity.  There  is  danger  that 
the  spiritual  work  of  the  Association  may  be  placed 
in  a  secondary  position. 

The  greatest  care  must  be  exercised  by  the  leaders 
of  the  movement  that  the  popular  element,  which, 
rightly,  will  occupy  a  more  prominent  position  in  the 
Association's  programme,  does  not  obscure  the  main 
plan,  the  essential  object  of  the  organisation. 

And  in  this  connection  the  experience  of  the  Asso- 
ciations in  America  should  prove  useful  to  the  workers 
in  all  parts  of  the  world.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 


342  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

during  one  period  in  the  history  of  the  American 
movement  the  purely  religious  work  was  overshad- 
owed by  the  social,  educational,  and  physical  agencies. 
But  it  was  recognised  that  the  successful  mainte- 
nance, even  of  the  social  work,  was  only  possible  by 
the  development  of  the  religious  department,  and 
strenuous  efforts  have  been  made  during  recent  years 
to  bring  the  spiritual  work  of  the  American  Associ- 
ation into  greater  prominence.  These  efforts  have 
been  wonderfully  successful.  Not  only  have  the  Bible 
Classes  in  Association  buildings  grown  in  number  and 
effectiveness,  but  more  careful  attention  has  been 
given  to  the  systematic  organisation  of  religious  and 
missionary  effort.  More  comprehensive  and  enter- 
prising schemes  for  evangelisation  will  be  set  on 
foot  in  all  directions.  New  types  of  Bible  Classes 
and  new  courses  of  Bible  study  will  be  started  to 
serve  special  groups  of  men  who  will  be  brought 
into  the  Association's  sphere  of  influence.  Classes 
will  to  a  greater  degree  become  objective  and 
practical  in  character.  The  Association  will  be 
recognised  as  one  of  the  chief  training  grounds  for 
Christian  work  by  laymen,  each  branch  the  centre  of 
a  great  and  widespread  home  missionary  agency. 

It  may  be  predicted  with  confidence  that  future 
years  will  find  the  educational  work  of  the  Associa- 
tion organised  and  maintained  with  greater  efficiency 
than  at  present.  It  is  true  that  at  the  time  of  writ- 
ing this  department  is  lacking  in  signs  of  immediate 


THE    MASTER    BUILDER  343 

growth.  This  is  largely  owing  to  the  fact  that  mem- 
bers have  been  discouraged  by  seeing  the  educational 
work  of  the  Association  in  Great  Britain  brought 
into  competition  with  the  Evening  Classes  established 
by  the  Educational  authorities.  There  are,  however, 
not  wanting  signs  that  the  Association  is  beginning 
to  realise  that  a  wide  field  is  open  to-day  for  the  pro- 
vision of  specialised  forms  of  instruction  designed  to 
fit  young  men  for  the  profession  or  business  in  which 
they  are  engaged.  That  there  are  great  possibili- 
ties of  successful  work  in  this  direction  has  been 
demonstrated  in  recent  years  by  the  Central  Asso- 
ciation, which  by  making  provision  for  the  training 
of  young  men  for  the  Civil  Service,  and  prepar- 
ing candidates  for  the  examinations  of  the  Banker's 
Institute  and  of  the  London  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, has  secured  for  this  department  a  degree 
of  prosperity  far  exceeding  that  obtained  when 
the  curriculum  was  confined  to  ordinary  commercial 
subjects. 

But  more  than  in  any  other  direction  the  growth 
of  the  work  will  also  be  manifested  in  specialised  effort 
by  Associations,  or  by  branches  and  departments  of 
Associations,  to  reach  definite  and  distinct  classes  of 
men.  This  specialisation  has  been  introduced  with 
almost  unprecedented  success  in  America,  where  ex- 
perience has  demonstrated  beyond  question  that  the 
Association  can  be  adapted  to  meet  the  needs  of 
young  men  of  all  degrees. 


344  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

In  the  past  there  have  been  certain  regretted  epi- 
sodes in  Great  Britain  which  will  serve  as  a  warning 
for  the  future.  It  is  unfortunate  that,  owing  no 
doubt  to  financial  reasons,  the  work  in  the  British 
Army  and  work  among  students  has  been  allowed  to 
pass  out  of  the  direct  control  of  the  Association.  The 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  has  no  business 
with  affiliated  Associations.  It  is  capable  of  under- 
taking work  among  all  classes  of  young  men,  and 
should  be  in  a  position  to  do  so. 

There  are  still,  however,  many  distinct  classes  to 
which  the  Association  can  successfully  appeal,  and 
separate  departments  will  doubtless  shortly  be  started 
for  men  of  special  occupations  who  can  only  be 
reached  by  special  methods,  such  as  the  police,  the 
employees  of  the  post-office,  railway  servants,  and 
others. 

The  great  artisan  section  is  calling  for  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  The  working-man  will 
have  his  own  Christian  Association  or  none  at  all. 
Only  those  who  have  made  a  careful  study  of  the 
subject  have  any  adequate  idea  of  the  evil  being 
wrought  among  the  working-men  of  Great  Britain 
by  so-called  social  and  political  clubs. 

Great  encouragement  for  specialised  forms  of 
organisation  in  Great  Britain  is  to  be  found  in  the 
success  which  has  lately  attended  the  work  carried 
on  in  encampments  of  Volunteer  Corps.  Tens  of 
thousands  of  men  have  thus  been  benefited,  and  the 


THE    MASTER    BUILDER  345 

Association  movement  has  received  a  measure  of 
popularity  and  publicity  that  has  commended  it  to 
the  whole  of  the  Volunteer  forces. 

In  the  class  Association  and  specialised  depart- 
ment lies  the  most  hopeful  work  of  the  coming 
years. 

Probably  no  development  of  the  work  in  the  past 
brought  greater  joy  to  the  founder  of  the  Associa- 
tion than  the  establishment  of  boys'  sections  in  con- 
nection with  some  of  the  larger  branches,  and  no 
Association  should  be  deemed  well  organised  if  it 
does  not  possess  a  well-equipped  section  for  lads 
between  thirteen  and  seventeen  years  of  age. 

In  each  new  building  in  America  between  twenty 
and  thirty  per  cent  of  the  accommodation  is  now 
given  to  the  boys'  department,  and  the  proportion 
of  boy  members  is  steadily  increasing. 

But  the  extension  of  the  work  is  after  all  more 
a  question  of  leadership  than  of  anything  else. 

The  increasing  needs  are  obvious,  and  what  is 
wanted  is  a  steady  addition  to  the  number  of  men 
who  will  devote  their  energies  to  the  work  of  leader- 
ship in  the  varied  departments  of  the  Associa- 
tion. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  offers 
a  career  to  those  who  have  decided  to  consecrate 
their  lives  to  missionary  work  as  arduous  and  cer- 
tainly as  full  of  opportunities  for  good  as  the 


346  SIR    GEORGE    WILLIAMS 

foreign  field.  The  work  is  ready  and  waiting  for 
them. 

Men  cast  in  an  heroic  mould,  whose  religion  is  not 
of  the  hot-house  variety  but  of  the  most  manly  and 
robust  type,  men  of  broad  views  of  life,  men  capable 
of  adapting  themselves  to  new  conditions  as  they  arise, 
men  of  enthusiasm  and  generous  sympathy,  men 
young  in  thought  and  attractive  in  manner,  with  a 
happy  appreciation  of  muscular  Christianity  and 
the  good  things  of  this  life  as  well  as  of  the 
next  —  these  are  the  men  whom  the  Association  calls 
for. 

And  above  all  things  these  men  must  have  faith  in 
the  young  men  themselves,  faith  in  youth  itself. 

There  are  many  who,  like  Solness,  Ibsen's  master 
builder,  are  fearful  of  the  young  men,  "  horribly 
afraid  of  the  younger  generation." 

Sir  George  Williams  would  never  have  started  the 
Association,  could  never  have  steered  it  through  its 
dangerous  and  troublous  years,  unless  he  had  had 
unbounded  faith  in  the  new  generation,  unshaken 
confidence  in  the  future  which  is  in  their  hands. 

Solness  heard  the  young  men  knocking  at  the  door 
and  —  trembled.  Sir  George  Williams,  the  master 
builder  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
welcomed  them  with  extended  hand. 

According  to  the  grace  of  God  which  was  given 
unto  him,  as  a  wise  master  builder,  he  laid  the 
foundation. 


THE    MASTER    BUILDER  347 

And  another  buildeth  thereon. 

But  let  every  man  take  heed  how  he  buildeth 
thereupon. 

For  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is 
laid,  which  is  JESUS  CHRIST. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


ADELAIDE,  First  Association  at, 
167 

Africa,  Messages  from,  at  the 
Jubilee,  285 ;  represented  at 
the  funeral,  321,  326 

"A.  K.  H.  B.,"144 

Aldersgate  Street,  new  premises, 
168,  169 ;  noonday  prayer 
meeting,  207,  208 

Alexander,  Dean,  144 

Alexandra,  Queen,  322 

Alford,  Dean,  144 

Allcroft,  J.  D.,  208,  224 

America  :  Start  of  American  As- 
sociations, 167  ;  report  from, 
at  the  Paris  Conference,  1855, 
171  ;  at  the  Jubilee  Celebra- 
tions, 280,  291 ;  Sir  George 
Williams's  visit  to,  296  et  seq. ; 
the  American  Associations, 
299-305 

American  visitors  (Sir  George 
Williams's),  314,  315 

Ashley,  Lord,  62,  151-153;  see 
Shaftesbury,  Earl  of 

Ashway  Farm,  6,  7,  11,  12 

Associations,  see  Young  Men's 
Christian  Associations 

Australia,  280,  321,  322 

Avebury,  Lord,  and  The  Early 
Closing  Movement,  252 

BALE,  Early  association  at,  169 
Barclay,  Rev.  J.,  116 n. 


Barde,  Professor,  282 

Barker,  Rev.  J.,  35 

Barle,  River,  4,  11 

Bath,  145 

Beaumont,    Edward,    107,    110, 

117 

Berlin,  285,  322 

Bernadotte,  Prince,  276,  321,  322 
Bernstorffe,  Count,  321 
Besant,  Sir  Walter,  53 
Bevan,  R.  C.  L.,  136,  185,  208, 

209,  221,222,  224,  229 
Bickersteth,  Bishop,  144 
Binney,  Rev.  Thomas,  28,  36,  37, 

38,  39,  40,  41,  63,  71,  79,  136, 

144 

Blackfriars  Bridge,  106,  107 
Blackmore,  R.  D.,  12 
Blake,  Admiral,  5,  10 
Blundell's,  The  school  of,  12 
Boston,  167,  296,  299,  300,  301 
Bradlaugh,  Mr.,  180,  217 
Branch,  Mr.,  109 
Brendon  Hills,  5 
Bridgwater,  3,  5,  6,  16,  17,  21, 

23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  36,  45,  50,  52, 

69,  233,  234 
Bristol,  176,  321 
Bromley    (Kent),     Sir     George 

Williams's  interest  in  a  mis- 
sion at,  262 

Brown,  Rev.  Hugh  Stowell,  144 
Buckland,  Rev.  A.  R.,  248,  253 
Burdett-Coutts,  Angela,  283 


352 


INDEX 


CAIRNS,  Earl,  226 

Canada,  280,  285,  304,  321 ;  see 
also  America 

Canterbury,  Archbishop  of,  226, 
276,  321 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  62 

Century  Magazine,  The,  303 

Ceylon,  280 

Chalmers,  Thomas,  62 

Chicago,  297 

China,  280,  285 

Christian  Cyclists'  Union,  261 

Christmas  breakfast,  158 

Cockett,  F.  J.,  110 

Commercial  Travellers'  Christian 
Association,  260 

Companion  for  the  Festivals  and 
Fasts  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, A,  119 

Copestake,  Moore  &  Co.,  205 

Creese,  William,  72,  19,  96,  101, 
110,  115,  127,  135,  277 

Cremorne  Gardens,  59 

Cutting,  Mr.,  104 

Cutting,  Mrs.,  74 

Cuyler,  Rev.  Dr.,  285,  291,  305 

DALE,  Dr.,  144,  155 

Darlington,  214 

Denmark,  279 

Denny,  E.  M.,  224 

Denny,  T.  A.,  223,  224 

Diary,  Extracts  from  Sir  George 
Williams's,  71,  73,  76,  77,  78, 
85,  86,  87,  88,  91,  92,  95,  96, 
97,  111,  132,  134,  138,. .139,  146 

Dickens,  Charles,  62 

Dover,  Association  at,  and  the 
Punch  incident,  194,  195,  196, 
197 

Draper,  The,  256 

Drapers'  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion, The,  115 

Duff,  Dr.  Alexander,  144 


Dulverton,  3,  4,  6,  9,  12,  13,  14, 

16,  82,  233 
Dykes,  Dr.  Oswald,  226 

EARLY  Closing  Association,  53, 
251,  252,  253 

Ebury,  Lord,  150 

Edinburgh  Conference,  188-199 

Edward  VII.,  King,  301,  322 

Emerson,  308 

Exeter,  46,  260 

Exeter  Hall,  143,  144,  165,  169, 
203,  221,  222,  223,  224,  225, 
226,  227,  228,  230,  231,  274, 
275,  276,  281,  282,  296,  313, 
326 

Exhibition  of  1851,  164,  165,  299 

Exmoor,  7,  9,  13,  18 

FILEY,  Sir  George  Williams 
speaking  to  children  at,  250 

Finney,  Rev.  Charles  G.,  30,  31, 
32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  98 

Fleming,  Canon,  226 

France,  139,  166,  167,  279,  308, 
322 

Franco-Prussian  War,  256 

GALE,  Rev.  Abner,  13,  14 

Geneva,  220 

Gerard,  Miss,  25 

Germany,  170,  279  ;  Emperor  of, 

301,  316,  322;  Prince   Henry 

of,  322 

Gibson,  Dr.  Munro,  285,  287 
Glasgow,  118 
Glasson,  M.,  110 
Gloyn's  Grammar  School,  12 
"  Goose  and  Gridiron,"  49,  99 
Gough,  J.  B.,  144,  222 
Gregory,  Dean,  329 
Gresham  Street  headquarters  of 

the  Association,  153,  154 
Gurney,  Thomas,  133 


INDEX 


353 


HAMBURG,  285 

Hamilton,  Dr.  James,  142,  144 

Harman,  William,  25 

Harris,  Miss,  25 

Harrowby,  Earl  of,  150 

Harvard,  308 

Harvey,  John,  110 

Highbury  Barn,  59 

Hitchcock  &  Rogers,  45,  46,  47, 
48,  49,  50,  54,  6] ,  68,  79,  95,  99, 
108,  130,  133 

Hitchcock,  George,  46,  47,  48, 
84,  85,  87,  102,  110,  133,  135, 
136,  149,  182,  183,  184,  185, 
242,  254 

Hitchcock,  Helen  (Lady  Wil- 
liams), 179,  243 

Hitchcock,  Walter,  140,  314 

Hitchcock,  Williams  &  Co.,  49, 
104,  248,  253,  255,  256 

Hodder,  M.  H.,  296,  308 

Holland,  166,  170 

Holmes,  Mr. ,  5,  22,  23,  45,  50 

Hughes,  Rev.  Hugh  Price,  195, 
230 

INDIA,  285,  304,  321,  322 
International  Exhibition,  254 
Italy,  302,  316 

JAMES,  Rev.  Evan,  26,  28,  29 
James,  Rev.  John  Angell,  144 
Japan,  280,  304,  315 
Jenny  Lind,  222 
Johnson,  Dr.,  59 

•     Jubilee  of  the  American  Associa- 
tions, 295-306 
Jubilee  of  the  World's  Alliance, 

307-310 

Jubilee  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  271-291 


KANSAS  City,  297 
Katerfelto,  13 


23 


Kingsley,  Charles,  61 
Kinnaird,  Hon.  Arthur  F. ,  157, 

158 
Kinnaird,  Lord,  287 

LATE  hours  of  shop  assistants, 
54-61 

Lectures  on  Revivals  of  Religion^ 
30 

Lectures  to  Professing  Christians, 
30 

Linen  and  Woollen  Drapers'  In- 
stitution, 253 

Liverpool,  321 

Livingstone,  David,  283 

London,  5,  28,  45,  46,  48,  49,  51, 
52,  60,  68,  75,  80,  96,  121,  167, 
168,  210,  214,  228,  254,  261, 
262,  265,  271,  272,  273,  276, 
277,  282,  316,  321,  323 

London,  Archdeacon  of,  273,  278 

London,  Bishop  of,  276 

London  Cabmen's  Mission,  261 

London  City  Mission,  118,  261 

London,  Lord  Mayor  of,  226,  230 

London  Missionary  Society,  104 

London  Tramcar  and  Omnibus 
Scripture  Text  Mission,  261 

Longfellow,  308 

Lorna  Doone,  4,  12 

McCoRMiCK,  Canon,  285 

McKinley,  President,  301,  322 

Margate,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  home  at, 
219,  264 

Mather,  Dr.  Cotton,  300 

May  Meeting  breakfast,  157,  158 

Melville,  Whyte,  13 

Metropolitan  Drapers'  Associa- 
tion, The,  53,  126. 

Metropolitan  Early  Closing  Asso- 
ciation, The,  53  ;  see  also  Early 
Closing 

Meyer,  Rev.  F.  B.,  282 


354 


INDEX 


Milan,  285 

Miller,  Hugh,  144,  191 

Modern  Painters,  62 

Monod,  Pasteur,  166 

Montreal,  167,  299 

Moody,  D.  L.,  210,  211,  212 

Moore,  George,  150,  205 

Morley,  I.  &  R.,  205 

Morley,  John,  136 

Morley,  Samuel,  137,   150,  208, 

224,  226,  229,  232,  242 
Mott,  John  R.,  316 
Music,  Sir  George  Williams  and, 

79 
Mutual  Improvement  Societies, 

103,  129,  137 

NASMITH,  David,  119,  300 
Nasmith  Societies,  119,  120,  121, 

300 
National  Early  Closing  Congress, 

252 

National  Scottish  Church,  142 
Nelson,  Robert,  118,  119 
Netherlands  Exhibition,  254 
Neuchatel,  285 
Newcome,  Colonel,  59 
Newman,  Cardinal,  62 
Newton,  John,  156 
New  Zealand,  280,  291,  321 
Nisbet&Co.,  143 
Noel,  Rev.  Baptist,  132,  137,  141 
North  Petherton,  45 

OWEN,  Prof.  R.,  144 

Owen,  W.  D.,  109,  110,  130,  133 

PARIS,  139,  166,  167,  308,  322 
Paris  Conference,  139,  169-172 
Paris  Exposition,  254 
Parker,  Dr.  Joseph,  282 
Past  and  Present,  62 
Peabody,  George,  283 
Pilkington,  G.,  69 


Polytechnic  Institute,  80 

Poole,  Mr.,  82 

Pressense,  Pasteur,  166 

Prize  Essay  on  the  Evils  which 

are  Produced  by  Late  Hours  of 

Business,  55 

Punch,  80,  194,  195,  196,  197 
Punshon,  Morley,  144,  263 
Puseyism,  105 
Putterill,  J.  H.,  272,  319,  320 

QUANTOCK  Hills,  5 

Quarterly  Messenger,  The,  194 

RADLEY'S  Hotel,   117,  128,   132, 

136,  160,  161,  162,  163 
Record,  The,  196 
Reeve,  Mr.,  141 
Revolution  in  Tanner's  Lane,  37 
Ridd,  Jan,  4,  12 
Ripon,  Bishop  of,  285 
Roberts,  Lord,  302 
Rogers,    Mr.,    partner    of    Mr. 

Hitchcock,  47 
Rogers,  E.,  99-101,  110 
Roosevelt,  President,  322 
Rosebery,  Earl  of,  272 
Rotterdam,  169 
Ruskin,  62 
Russell,  Earl,  144 
Russia,  280,  302,  315 
Russia,  Czar  of,  322 
Rutherford,  Mark,  37 
Ryde,  219,  263 

ST.  Louis,  297 

St.  Martin's  Coffee  House,  112 
St.  Paul's  Missionary  Society,  253 
St.  Petersburg,  316,  322 
Salvation  Army,  26,  264 
Seamen's   Christian   Friend  So- 
ciety, 261,  307 
Sedgmoor,  10 
Serious  Call  (Law's),  31 


INDEX 


355 


Serjeant's  Inn,  Fleet  Street,  135, 

138,  140,  141 
Shaftesbury,  Earl  of,   118,  151, 

152,  204,   226,  230,  231,  251, 

283 ;  see  also  Ashley,  Lord 
Sherman,  Rev.  James,  73 
Shipton,  Edwyn,  139,  142,  159, 

171,  176,  177,  220 
Sinclair,  Archdeacon,  324,  329     - 
Smith,  C.  W.,  110,  116 
Smith,  James,  109,  110,  112,  116 
Smith,  Norton,  110,  277 
Smith,  W.  Hind,  186,  221,  224 
Soldiers'  Christian   Association, 

261 

Spurgeon,  C.  H.,  144,  179,  203 
Spurgeon,  Rev.  T.,282 
Stanley,  Dean,  144 
Stockholm,  235,  285 
Stokes,  James,  316 
Stoughton,  Rev.  Dr.,  143,  144 
Sully,  James,  28 
Sweden,  279 
Switzerland,  169,  280 
Symons,  J.  C.,  110,  112,  115 

TARLTON,  T.  H.,  133,  134,  135, 
138,  140,  142,  145,  176,  177, 
220,  243 

Taunton,  10,  145 

Teetotal  Pledge,  69 

Temple,  Archbishop,  12 

Tennyson,  4,  11,  62 

Thomas,  Miss,  22,  25 

Thomas,  Rev.  W.  H.  Griffith, 
306 

Thompson,  Samuel,  316 

Timlett,  Mrs.,  12 

Tiverton,  12 

Toronto,  296,  297 

Torquay,  314,  316,  318,  320,  329 

Torrey- Alexander  Mission,  21 

Torr  Steps,  11 

Trench,  Archbishop,  Io6 


Tritton,  J.  Herbert,  221,  227,  229 
Tussaud's,  Madame,  80 

UNITED  STATES  ;  see  America 

VALENTINE,  Edward,  90,  100, 
105,  110,  116 

WANAMAKER,  Hon.  John,  285, 
317 

Watson,  James,  144 

Wesley,  John,  95,  119 

Whateley,  Archbishop,  144 

Whitefield,  George,  31,  119,  263 

Whitefield's  Tabernacle,  260 

Whittington,  Dick,  23 

Williams,  Amos,  father  of  Sir 
George  Williams,  6,  12 

Williams,  Elisabeth,  mother  of 
Sir  George  Williams,  6,  9 

Williams,  Fred,  45 

Williams,  Howard,  298,  299,  308 

Williams,  Lady,  288,  306 

Williams,  Nellie,  244 

Williams,  Sir  George  :  Home,  5  ; 
parentage,  6 ;  boyhood,  8,  10 ; 
education,  12 ;  religious  train- 
ing, 13 ;  work  on  farm,  15 ; 
apprenticed  to  draper  at  Bridg- 
water,  16  ;  life  at  Bridg water, 
22  ;  conversion,  26,  27  ;  joined 
Church,  28;  spiritual  home- 
land, 29 ;  influence  of  Rev.  C. 
Finney,  36 ;  influence  of  Rev. 
T.  Binney,  37,  39,  40,  41 ;  with 
his  brother  Fred,  45 ;  leaves 
Bridgwater,  45 ;  first  visit  to 
London,  46;  introduction  to 
Mr.  Hitchcock,  46  ;  enters  em- 
ploy of  Messrs.  Hitchcock  & 
Rogers,  46;  business  hours, 
54 ;  Sunday  work,  72 ;  secre- 
tary of  Sunday  School,  74; 
music  and  elocution,  79,  80 ; 


356 


INDEX 


his  letters  to  his  relations,  81, 
82,  83;  business  enthusiasm, 
83;  his  popularity,  86;  ap- 
pointed drapery  buyer,  87 ; 
first  thought  of  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
96 ;  method  of  praying  for  com- 
panions, 97  ;  growth  of  prayer 
meetings,  98 ;  influence  over 
his  fellows,  99 ;  interest  in 
missions,  104;  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
discussed,  106,  107,  108,  109 ; 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  founded,  110; 
his  modesty,  110;  tact  and 
good  humour,  126 ;  critical 
time  in  business  career,  132 ; 
takes  charge  of  Bible  Class, 
140 ;  ideas  as  to  how  a  Bible 
Class  should  be  conducted, 
142;  deputation  work,  145; 
visits  to  his  home,  81,  145; 
business  prospects,  149  ;  views 
for  popularising  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
151 ;  tact  in  managing  Com- 
mittee work,  154 ;  meetings 
he  presided  over,  161  ;  visit  to 
Paris,  166;  starts  branch  of 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  there,  166 ;  dele- 
gate to  General  Conference  of 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Paris,  169; 
prominent  work  in  connec- 
tion with  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  176; 
rules  for  daily  life,  177  ;  politi- 
cal views,  179 ;  made  partner 
in  firm,  182 ;  Treasurer  of 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  184;  generosity 
to  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  186;  recrea- 
tion, 213 ;  speech  at  London 
Conference,  214 ;  not  an  orator, 
215;  quotations  from  speeches, 
217-219;  idea  of  purchasing 
Exeter  Hall  for  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
223 ;  ovation  at  opening  of 
Exeter  Hall,  226;  speech  at 
opening  of  Exeter  Hall,  227 ; 


Chairman  of  National  Com- 
mittee, 228 ;  delegate  at  Inter- 
national Conference,  Berlin, 
230;  elected  President  of 
Y,  M.  C.  A. ,  231 ;  speech  at  An- 
nual Meeting,  231 ;  Bridgwater 
Memorial  Building  opened, 
233  ;  work  throughout  country 
for  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  235;  business 
career,  240,  241 ;  as  a  philan- 
thropist, 241 ;  married  to  Helen 
Hitchcock,  243;  his  family, 
244;  daughter's  death,  244; 
devotion  of  employees,  245 ; 
his  motto,  248;  treasurer  of 
Early  Closing  Association, 
251 ;  interest  in  drapery  trade, 
253 ;  in  Cottage  Home  Move- 
ment, 253 ;  and  in  Literary 
and  Debating  Society,  253; 
methodical  habits,  254;  how 
he  made  his  fortune,  256 ;  his 
evenings,  25? ;  help  given  to 
workers  for  Christ,  260 ;  gen- 
erosity to  various  societies, 
260-264;  presented  "Hazel- 
wood,"  Ryde,  and  "Shaftes- 
bury  House,"  Margate,  to 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  263,  264 ;  his  help 
and  sympathy,  265-267 ;  motto 
for  Jubilee  year,  271 ;  knighted, 
273 ;  speeches  at  Jubilee  cele- 
brations, 277,  287,  288-290; 
presentation  of  the  Freedom 
of  the  City  of  London,  282; 
golden  anniversary  of  wed- 
ding, 306 ;  present  at  Jubi- 
lee of  World's  Alliance  of 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Paris,  308; 
last  public  speech,  310 ;  last 
appearance  on  a  public  plat- 
form, 313 ;  great  feebleness, 
313 ;  last  days  in  London, 
319 ;  last  hours  at  Torquay, 


INDEX 


357 


320;  memorial  sermon  at  St. 

Paul's,  324  ;  funeral,  328  ;  the 

works  that  follow  him,  333 
Windsor,  290 
Wiseman,  Luke,  144 
Woodbridge     Prayer     Meeting, 

71 
Wren,  Sir  Christopher,  49 

YEAST,  61 

Young  Ladies'  Christian  Associ- 
ation, 138 

Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, 25,  26,  31,  41,  60,  69, 
75,  80,  83,  96,  101,  104,  106; 
founded,  110;  room  engaged 
at  St.  Martin's  Coffee  House, 
Ludgate  Hill,  112  ;  first  efforts 
to  spread  Association,  112 ; 
circular  letter,  113 ;  names 
suggested,  116;  large  room 
secured  at  Radley's  Hotel, 
Blackfriars,  117;  early  work, 
125  ;  methodical  prayer,  127  ; 
progress,  128  ;  plans  enlarged, 
129;  first  tea  meeting,  130; 
first  report,  130  ;  second  social 
gathering,  132;  Mr.  Tarlton 
made  secretary,  133 ;  new  offi- 
ces secured  in  Serjeant's  Inn, 
Fleet  Street,  135  ;  first  Annual 
Report  presented,  136;  sug- 
gested extension  of  work,  137 ; 
Bible  Classes  started,  138 ;  in- 
ception of  Exeter  Hall  Lec- 
tures, 142 ;  reputation,  144 ; 
definite  forward  movement, 
145 ;  interest  of  Earl  Shaftes- 
bury,  151;  Annual  Meeting  first 
held  in  Exeter  Hall,  152  ;  head- 
quarters removed  to  Gresham 
Street,  153 ;  narrowness  of 
some  influential  members,  155 ; 
public  May  meeting  breakfast 


inaugurated,  157  ;  Great  Ex- 
hibition of  1851,  164;  special 
lectures  at  Exeter  Hall,  165; 
formation  of  branches  abroad, 
166  ;  branch  started  at  Paris, 
166 ;  work  introduced  to  Hol- 
land, 166 ;  branches  in  Ade- 
laide, Calcutta,  Montreal, 
and  Boston,  167 ;  formation 
of  International  Committee, 
167 ;  lease  of  new  premises 
purchased,  168 ;  Conference 
in  Paris,  169 ;  reports  from 
Foreign  Associations,  169- 
172 ;  general  correspondence 
started,  175;  aim  of  Associa- 
tion, 181 ;  financial  trouble, 
181 ;  critical  period,  187  ;  atti- 
tude towards  Church,  188; 
catholicity  of  Association,  191 ; 
objection  to  Punch,  194 ;  Edin- 
burgh Conference,  197-198; 
increasing  usefulness  and  pros- 
perity, 204;  report  for  1869, 
206 ;  educational  work  of  As- 
sociation, 208  ;  Travelling  Sec- 
retary, 209;  work  among 
Sunday  excursionists,  209 ; 
visit  of  Mr.  Moody,  210 ;  Con- 
ference at  London,  214 ;  open- 
ing of  Hazelwood  House, 
Ryde,  219 ;  International  Com- 
mittee established.  220 ;  open- 
ing of  East  Central  Branch, 
London,  221 ;  history  of  Exe- 
ter Hall,  222  ;  money  raised 
for  purchase  of  Exeter  Hall, 
224 ;  Exeter  Hall  purchased 
as  headquarters  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
225  ;  opening  ceremony,  226  ; 
International  Conference  held 
at  Exeter  Hall,  228;  Inter- 
national Conference  held  at 
Berlin,  230;  election  of  Sir 


358 


INDEX 


George  Williams  as  President, 
231  ;  appointment  of  Travel- 
ling Foreign  Secretary,  235  ; 
Jubilee  held  in  London,  271  ; 
organisation  of  Jubilee  cele- 
bration, 274  ;  Jubilee  meet- 
ings, etc.,  277-291  ;  Jubilee  of 
American  Association,  295 ; 
gro  wth  of  American  Y.M.C.  A., 
298-306;  Jubilee  of  World's 


Alliance  of  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  307  ; 
the  future  of  the  Association, 
335 

Young  Men's  Magazine  and 
Monthly  Record,  120 

Young  Men's  Missionary  So- 
ciety, 103 

ZION  Congregational  Chapel, 
Bridgwater,  23 


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